Midnight Sorrow
by Kitty and Kurry
Summary: An amateur songwriter gets the break he's always wished for... and more than he expected at the same time. Rated M for some minor language, some controversy and the maturity of the writing, not explicit content.
1. Brothers

Disclaimer:

Kadaj, Yazoo, Loz, Cloud, Vincent, Marlene, Rufus, Jenova, Final Fantasy weapon names and the original ShinRa concept are copyright SquareEnix.

Alphonse, Edward, Winry and the wrench are copyright Hiromu Arakawa.

Kitty is copyright herself.

Kurry and Neil are copyright Kurry, as well as the concept for the weapon 'Shadow' and the snippets of the song 'Midnight Sorrow', which I actually wrote especially for this fic. So no stealey, thanks much.

All other hidden references are copyright their respective owners, because I just like to throw random anime and/or game references into my fics.

Basically, anything you recognise, I don't own, unless you've been with us for awhile and you recognise our stuff. Use wise judgement. I'm obviously not making any money off of this, so there isn't much to sue for. Thanks.

A Word from the Authoress:

Hey people. Just so you know, this fic is rated 'Mature' for a reason. Not because it may contain especially explicit content, but because in order to read this fic the reader must keep an open mind and a mature outlook. You don't have to agree with the way the story is set up, but please don't flame me for it. You'll be ignored. I'm trying a bit of a new style and new ideas here, so just keep that in mind while you're reading. If you like it, feel free to review. That's about all I have to say, so thanks for choosing this fic and I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

_Midnight Sorrow_

_By Kurry Kurishi and Kitty Tashimono_

Chapter 1 - Brothers

'Kadaj! We're going to be late!'

Scribbling down a few more lines in a hurry, the young man paused a moment to read it over before the hollering of his older brother snapped him from his reverie. 'Coming, Yazoo!' Tearing himself away from his work, Kadaj Shinrova grabbed his long leather jacket and bolted for the stairs, nearly stumbling down them in his haste.

Throwing on his coat as he descended, Kadaj was met with a barrage of admonitions as he entered the hallway.

'Honestly, 'Daj, we're supposed to open in twenty minutes…'

'Relax, Yazoo,' Kadaj replied, digging his gloves out of his pocket. 'We'll be there in plenty of - …'

He was interrupted by a loud BANG as the kitchen door flew open and Loz came running out, still stuffing the last bite of a sandwich into his mouth. He mumbled something intangible around the food, flailing a little as he tried to get his arm into his sleeve. Yazoo let out a long suffering sigh. 'Chew first, apologise later. Let's go.'

The house secured, the brothers ran down the walk pulling on gloves and zipping up coats as they went. Kicking their motorbikes to life, they roared off together down the street.

The sun was reaching the horizon line as they rode, turning the azure summer sky brilliant shades of purple and gold. The weather was comfortably balmy; people were out and about enjoying the sweet, cooling air. Clusters of females out for an evening turned to stare and swoon as the siblings swept by, silver hair whipping back and forth in the wind.

With their similar looks and different personalities, the brothers made a handsome and interesting trio. Yazoo was the eldest, and as such bore most of the responsibility on his twenty-five year old shoulders. Quiet and reserved, Yazoo let his common sense and dry wit do most of the talking, rarely letting himself get too emotional. At 6'4" he was lean and muscular from martial arts training; this coupled with his long hair and gentle features made the girls flock to him in droves. He was kind and generous as well, but the person who dared mess with him or his brothers soon learned that Yazoo was not to be trifled with.

Loz was the complete opposite of Yazoo in many ways. He was a bit of a prankster and could be childish at times, but he often got even the eldest laughing uproariously with his infamous jokes. At twenty one, his carefree attitude served as a balance for Yazoo's seriousness and he always made sure that his brothers had some fun. Loz was the more built of the three; his silver hair was cropped short and swept back into spikes and his eyes were nearly always sparkling with mischief. Despite his penchant for humour, Loz was never cruel, and was quick to defend anyone from harm.

At twenty three, Kadaj was the middle brother and in possession of a spirit of fire. He was passionate about music; a budding songwriter, he was still trying to be signed, but he swore to his brothers that someday he was going to get a break. Kadaj could see the world in a different light; his feline eyes were always curious about everything and anything, gazing out from behind his silver bangs. He could switch from thinking quietly to bouncing off the walls with a transformation that often baffled his brothers. Cool, confidant in most things, with a stubborn streak to match his determination, Kadaj knew exactly what he wanted and wouldn't hesitate to try and achieve it.

The siblings currently lived in Midgar, though the city was by no means their home. Their mother had always wished them to see something of the world while they were young, and so the three of them had until recently been travelling the continent, never staying in any one place too long. It was a wish they had been desperate to fulfill, for their mother had died in wartime twelve years ago and they felt it their duty to carry out her last hope for them. However, the traveller's feet do eventually become weary, and when their half-brother had contacted them with a proposition, all three had leapt at the chance.

Cloud Strife was the owner, president and CEO of ShinRa Corporations, an internationally known recording company. He was part of the reason why Midgar was healing so well after the war; the music industry brought in a lot of revenue which helped the region's economy. ShinRa's profits went toward two things and two things only; paying the artists and rebuilding the community. Cloud and his long-time girlfriend, Tifa Lockheart, ran their own small bar downtown and lived off the income from that. Recently, Cloud had gotten in touch with his half-brothers and offered them a deal; take care of Seventh Heaven, a relatively popular place, for three months while he and Tifa were on a world tour, and he would cover their living expenses and housing. After careful debate, Yazoo, Kadaj and Loz had accepted and returned to Midgar for the first time in nearly three years. The bargain was working out so far, and the brothers enjoyed the labour whole-heartedly; still, all three were beginning to feel as though they needed a steady place to live. Finding it was turning out to be the only problem; fortunately, they knew they always had at least a temporary place with Cloud. That made things easier.

Arriving at the bar, the brothers parked on the street and went in through the back door. Yazoo tossed his jacket neatly onto the coat rack and began to roll up his sleeves. 'It's a Friday, so we're going to be busier than usual. Kadaj, can I get you to set up the glasses? That'll make it more efficient. Loz, get the chairs down; I've got to start plugging in the taps.'

Fifteen minutes later, the brothers all took a deep breath and Loz unlocked the front door. 'Good evening… may I see your ID please?' His deep voice and husky frame brooked no argument. Kadaj smiled; things would go smoothly tonight.


	2. Seventh Heaven

Just so's ya know, the disclaimer in the first chapter is good for the entire fic. I'm not writing that out every time I post a chapter, mmkay? Enjoy.

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Chapter 2 – Seventh Heaven

Less than twenty minutes after opening, the bar was almost full. Kadaj swiped a table with a damp cloth, absently humming to himself. Scooping up a tray full of used glasses, he balanced it precariously as he worked his way back behind the bar and into the kitchen. Still humming, he ran hot water into the sink and began to wash the glasses.

'How're we doing back here?' Yazoo asked, coming in to take another tray of clean dishes.

'Oh, fine. We're always this busy on Fridays,' Kadaj replied, not bothering to turn around.

Yazoo paused before leaving. 'Hey 'Daj… once you're done that set, come out and stand with me behind the bar. I'll teach you how to mix a few new drinks, if you're up to it.'

Kadaj grinned over his shoulder at his brother, flicking his silver bangs out of his eyes. 'Thanks niisan, I'll be there in a sec.'

Within ten minutes he was out front again, curiously leaning over Yazoo's shoulder as his elder brother explained a 'screwdriver' to him. As he watched his brother mix the drink and pass it to a customer, Kadaj caught a glimpse of something – or rather, some_one_ – out of the corner of his eye.

'…whoa.'

Sitting at the end of the bar, casually sipping a white wine spritzer, was a tall, cool blonde with sapphire-blue eyes. Kadaj had never seen her before; she hadn't come into the bar prior to tonight. He felt sure he would have noticed her if she had; the woman was gorgeous. 'Yazoo! Look down there… have you seen her before?'

Yazoo glanced down the bar. 'No, but she seems familiar…'

'That's what I thought.'

As they watched, the female in question turned as a second woman came up to her. The two embraced briefly and the new arrival took a seat next to the blonde at the bar. Having better sight than most in the semi-darkness, Yazoo and Kadaj could see that this woman had short hair the colour of dark chocolate and firm grey eyes. They struck up a conversation with each other, the dark one seemingly in no hurry to get a drink. After a moment, however, the blonde turned and motioned at Yazoo. The bartender shot his younger brother a look that plainly stated w_atch and learn_ before he made his way down the bar, casually swiping a glass to wipe with his towel as he went.

Kadaj's keen ears picked up the conversation over the noise of the tenants. He edged a little closer, curious.

'Good evening ladies, what'll it be?' Yazoo's smooth voice carried well.

'Bailey's, on the rocks, for my friend here,' the blonde replied in a clear tone.

The dark-haired woman chuckled. 'You know me too well, 'Ry.'

'I've practically made it my business,' 'Ry' bantered back.

Kadaj jumped a little when Yazoo called out 'Bailey's on the rocks!' at him. His face coloured a little wondering if he'd been caught eavesdropping, but he quickly mixed the drink and brought it down to the guests.

'What brings you ladies here tonight?' Yazoo asked, pretending to clean the counter. 'You have not been here before, I think; I feel certain we would have noticed.'

The flattery was not lost on either of them and both smiled. 'Our usual place is closed for renovations,' the dark one replied. 'We've heard good things about this place and thought we'd try it out.'

'Ry finished her spritzer and twirled her stool to look out at the small dance floor. 'I'm interested to hear the music selection,' she commented. 'There aren't many places that make me want to dance. Think you're up to the challenge?' She glanced over her shoulder at them, winking at Kadaj to show the rebuff was good-natured. The young man blushed. 'Um… I can start the rotations… sometimes we have to hit the jukebox to get it to play good music, but I bet we could get something worth dancing to out of it,' he joked.

'Ry's sapphire eyes flashed in the darkness. 'Excellent.'

'Any particular tastes?'

'Surprise me.'

Kadaj raised an eyebrow. _Swift…_ 'Coming right up,' he replied and dashed off toward the stereo system in the corner.

Back at the bar, the dark-haired one leaned over to whisper in the blonde's ear. 'He's cute!'

'No kidding… we should have come here earlier, Kitty.'

'His friend there isn't bad to look at either… they must be brothers or something,' Kitty muttered, grinning secretively. 'Whatcha think, Kurry?'

Kurry smirked at the young man who was now having an argument with the dysfunctional stereo and losing. 'I think I'll have to hear the music before I make a decision.'

'Fair enough.'

Kadaj finally swore and kicked the stand. The stereo blared to life suddenly, fully operational and playing as though it had never had a problem. Partially deaf because Loz had forgotten to turn the volume down the last time they got it to work, Kadaj made his way back over to the bar where the young women were sitting.

'There you go. It's working now.'

Kurry's foot was tapping absently. 'This isn't a bad tune. I've heard it before.'

Kadaj glanced around; no-one else seemed to be requiring service. He fiddled with a couple of shot glasses, pretending to be busy as he spoke with them. 'Well, we've got all types of music here, I'm sure something will come on.'

He gasped suddenly.

'What's wrong?' Kitty asked.

Kadaj looked somewhat terrified, as though he had just remembered something terrible. 'Um… n-nothing…'

Just then the song changed and Kadaj cringed. However, Kurry's head shot up. 'Heeeeey… this is different…'

'It's… it's not very good…' Kadaj murmured, blushing furiously.

'You don't like this one?' Kitty questioned, a little confused by the young man's strange reaction.

'Um… well, no, it's not one of m-…'

He was interrupted by Kurry. 'Okay, I'm sorry to leave you, but I _have_ to dance to this. It's so _different_…' She leapt off the stool and headed toward the dance floor.

Kadaj blanched. '…um?'

Kitty laughed. 'Well, Kurry would know…'

The silver-haired male blinked. 'Oh, so that's her name…'

Kitty smiled. 'Yes, I'm sorry, we didn't introduce ourselves. I'm Kitty, and the dancing fiend is Kurry. She's always searching for a new beat… we're really interested in any sort of new music.' She winked. 'I'm going to go dance too. Warn us before the bar closes, we're going to be thirsty later.' A pause, then, '…what's your name, by the way?'

Kadaj blinked, thoroughly stunned by the rapid discourse. 'Um… Kadaj.'

Grey eyes glinted with amusement. 'It's a pleasure to meet you, Kadaj. See you around.'

There was something in her tone that Kadaj found expressly intriguing. He couldn't help gazing after her as she joined her friend on the dance floor.

Yazoo came back over and nudged his brother, grinning gleefully. 'Well, well, what do we have here…?'

Kadaj blushed at his elder brother's tone. 'Oh shuttup, 'Zoo.'

Yazoo glanced at the ceiling, or more specifically, the speakers. 'Hey, isn't that one of your tunes playing?'

Kadaj nodded. 'Yeah… I can't believe she likes this one. It sucks… I forgot it was in there…' He looked sheepish.

Yazoo sighed. 'Honestly brother… don't beat yourself up for the failures. Your music is great, it just needs work. And I need you to take the garbage out.'

Kadaj echoed his brother's sigh. 'A bartender's work is never done.'

Yazoo ruffled his ototousan's hair. 'You can take a break after you do that, if you want one. Have a drink yourself and relax, I'm not a slave driver. But not too much alcohol.'

'Thanks 'Zoo. I know. Any trouble with Loz yet?'

Yazoo chuckled, looking surprised at the very suggestion. 'Loz? Trouble? Remember the _last_ guy who thought Loz was a pushover?'

Kadaj covered his mouth to muffle his laughter. 'Of course. How stupid of me.'

'That got around town pretty fast. Nobody messes with Loz anymore.' Yazoo noticed a couple of patrons making their way toward the bar. 'Anyway, garbage and then break. I've got more people to serve.'

Kadaj finished putting away the glasses he had been cleaning and then made his way to the back, grabbing the behind-bar trash bins on the way. He smiled a little to himself, thinking about his brothers. Yazoo always looked out for them, and Kadaj looked to him for guidance about a lot of things. Loz might be annoying, but he had a cheerful soul, something that Kadaj envied at times. Even when they fought, or teased each other mercilessly about some stupid thing or another, Kadaj knew he wouldn't trade his brothers for anything on the planet.

The garbage collected and bagged, Kadaj returned the bins to the bar and poured himself a sherry. Then he sat on the barstool at the very end, a little out of the way, and just observed the scene.

People came to Seventh Heaven for relaxation, good times and Yazoo's excellent drinks. The mood in the place was always charmed with an air that helped the patrons unwind, and it did the same for Kadaj. He often got inspiration for songs while in the bar; the auras of so many people intermingling with the sights, smells and sounds in the room stimulated his mind. Music was always about some form of human nature; it was meant to appeal to some part of a person's soul. Where better to gain ideas for such an appeal than among the very people it was meant to appeal to?

His aqua-coloured eyes roved over the crowd; turnout was good tonight. Tifa would be pleased when she heard that. Kadaj sipped his sherry, savouring the warm, soothing taste. He swirled the liquid in the glass, admiring the rich colour. As he did so, a reflective flash caught his eye. He glanced up and his gaze fell on the source.

Kurry.

She was dancing to his music.

She probably didn't even realise it was Yazoo singing; his brother had a decent voice and had been willing to record this particular song just so that Kadaj could hear what it would sound like. Although Kadaj liked his brother's voice, it was an amateur recording at best and he knew the wording and most of the music needed work. He could not believe that the woman was actually dancing to it. She looked pleased as well, eyes partially closed as though savouring every pulse. Kitty was dancing as well nearby, looking more interested in the white-haired young man a few feet beyond them than the beat. Kadaj smiled thoughtfully; perhaps he'd have to pull this song out of the files and take another look at it…

As he took another sip of his sherry, something Kitty had said earlier passed almost randomly through his mind. _She's always searching for a new beat… we're really interested in any sort of new music…_ The words sparked recognition in him. He, too, was always looking for the right music; the rhythm that would inspire people to dance. The only difference was that he wanted to write it, while she wanted to dance to it…

His motion paused, the glass halfway back to the table. An almost luminescent glow came to Kadaj's feline eyes, the cogs behind them working progressively faster as the thought became fully formed. A song… a song about song… a song about the rhythm he was searching for… what they were all searching for…

…was it possible?

Kadaj stood abruptly, abandoning his unfinished sherry. Weaving his way through the crowd, he passed behind the bar and into the back kitchen where Yazoo was refilling the ice tub.

'…'Zoo…'

His elder brother turned. 'Hm?' At the look on Kadaj's face, he groaned a little. 'Oh no… can't it wait until we're done…?'

'I can work if I can write at the same time. I won't let it get in the way, but 'Zoo… I've got to get this down…'

Yazoo sighed and good-naturedly rolled his eyes. 'Alright, alright… your notepad is in the drawer…'

In a flash of silver Kadaj was gone with the pad. Yazoo's lips twitched.

'Artists…'


	3. Inspiration

Chapter 3 – Inspiration

The next day dawned clear. Loz stumbled downstairs at half past eight, still rubbing sleep from his eyes. 'Mornin', 'Zoo,' he mumbled, the words barely audible around a yawn. Yazoo looked up from where he was sitting at the kitchen table reading the paper. 'Good morning. Sleep well, bro?'

Loz blinked and headed for the coffee machine. 'Yeah, I slept okay. At least it was cool last night; I can't stand the heat.' He poured himself a mug of coffee and sipped. 'Ahhh…'

Yazoo smiled and glanced back down at his paper. 'Not much of interest in the news today, I'm afraid,' he sighed after a moment, folding the paper neatly and tossing it onto the table. 'What do you want to do today?'

Loz was busy rummaging in the fridge for eggs. 'I was thinking of going to the gym. I haven't been in awhile. You?'

Yazoo sighed again. 'Taxes.'

'Damn.'

'I know.'

'How're we doing, anyway?'

Yazoo ran his fingers through his hair and paused to work out a tangle. 'Well… we're going to have to get proper jobs soon… and find a real place to live. This place is awesome but it's a rent, and we're getting to the point where we just can't afford to travel anymore. Once Tifa gets back she'll want the bar back too, so we're out of luck there.'

Loz sat down at the other end of the table, concern etched on his features. 'We're okay for awhile, though, right?'

Yazoo closed his eyes and searched his memory. '…yeah. We'll be okay until August. We'll need jobs before then.'

'Mmf… maybe I'll go job-hunting today then instead…' Loz mused, munching his eggs.

Yazoo smiled fondly at his youngest brother. 'That might be a good idea. Take Kadaj with you, if he ever gets up…'

Just then, Kadaj entered the kitchen on a beeline for the coffee machine. 'Good-morning-can't-talk-now-inspiration,' he said extremely quickly as he poured himself some coffee and bolted back upstairs.

His brothers blinked in his wake.

'Well… maybe you won't be taking him with you…'

Loz polished off his egg and grinned. 'I'll be back in a couple hours. We'll see what I can find.'

After Loz left to get dressed, Yazoo tidied up the kitchen and then went upstairs. Pausing next to Kadaj's room, he knocked lightly on the door. 'Hey 'Daj, do you want any breakfast?'

'No thanks!' came the reply. Yazoo smiled. 'Alright… just don't wear yourself out too much…' The elder sibling retreated to his room and pulled a couple of folders from the pile on his desk. 'Gar… taxes…'

* * *

It took Loz fifteen minutes to get to the business district. Traffic was light and the youngest Shinrova enjoyed the breeze that whipped through his spiky hair. It took him another ten minutes to find a decent parking spot; the roads were still rather chewed up. The roar of the motorbike died abruptly as he pulled into a clear space and parked. Dismounting, Loz popped a quarter into the only slightly mangled parking meter and set off down the sidewalk, his satchel slung casually over his shoulder. A few people passed him; the streets were not busy at this hour. Loz started to whistle a low tune, glancing left and right for 'Now Hiring' signs. Spotting one, he made to cross the street, but a rather vivacious female voice behind him caused him to pause.

'Hey! Isn't that the cute bouncer from the other night?'

An answering female voice replied with a gasp, 'I think it is! Ooh, let's go talk to him!'

Loz suddenly had the very distinct feeling that if he were in an anime, he would have sweat-dropped just now. 'Um…' Turning, he caught sight of a cluster of females coming toward him, all of them looking far too enthusiastic to be good news for him.

'Look, he's wearing leather!'

'Eee, that's so darn hot!'

Backing away nervously, Loz cast desperately about for an escape route and found none. There was nothing else for it. The young man sighed heavily. _Damn, I wish I didn't have to do this…_

Taking a firm grip on his satchel, Loz bolted.

'Hey! He's escaping!'

'GET HIM!'

_…dammit._

* * *

It was getting close to noon before Yazoo reappeared, looking rather worn out. 'Bloody things take so long…' The eldest made his way downstairs, still muttering to himself and cursing taxes. Poking his head into the fridge, he rummaged around for any edible material whatsoever and came up with a bowl of leftover pasta. This he popped into the microwave. As he pressed the buttons, Yazoo heard a loud SLAM come from the general direction of the front door.

'What the…?'

Heading for the hall, Yazoo jumped. 'Loz! What happened… are you alright?'

His younger brother leaned with his back against the door, panting heavily. 'I… think… so… I don't… think… they followed… me…'

Fear flashed across Yazoo's face. 'Who was chasing you!'

Loz shuddered. '…I think they're called fangirls.'

Yazoo was silent for about ten seconds before he burst out laughing. Loz huffed. 'It's NOT FUNNY!' This, of course, only caused Yazoo to laugh harder.

Just then a door opened upstairs. 'CAN I GET SOME SILENCE PLEASE?' Kadaj shouted down the stairs. Still chuckling, Yazoo motioned at the kitchen. 'Come in here and we'll talk. Don't bother him right now; he's in the middle of a song. Any luck with the job-hunting?'

Loz was the picture of sheepishness. 'Um… I barely managed to escape with my life here. I didn't exactly get to the job-hunting.'

Yazoo sighed, though he still looked amused. 'Alright… we'll go later and I'll beat them off.' He winked at his younger brother, who blushed. 'I coulda handled it!'

'Obviously.'

Loz pouted. 'Well, okay, maybe not…'

Yazoo just grinned.

At that moment, the ringing of the telephone jarred both of them out of their banter. Yazoo leaned on the wall by the phone and picked it up. 'Hello, Shinrova reside-… Tifa!' A wide grin split his face. 'Hey woman, you promised to call a week ago! How're you?'

Loz beamed and ran for the other phone. The first thing he heard was a woman's voice laughing at Yazoo. 'Well, that's a fine hello! How're you, 'Zoo?'

Loz could hear the smile in Yazoo's tone. 'I'm fine. So are Loz and 'Daj. Where are you?'

'We're in Wutai, visiting an old friend,' Tifa answered. 'Cloud is here, I'll get him on…' She thankfully pulled away from the phone before bellowing, 'CLOUD! PICK UP THE OTHER LINE!' Loz laughed. 'Nice, Tifa. Deafen the poor guy so he can't hear us.'

'Oh, are you there too Loz? I'm sorry, I didn't realise. How's the bar?' Tifa asked, coming back on.

'It's doing well. Thriving, I'd say. Are you having fun?'

There was a click as he spoke, and a deeper, male voice answered his question. 'Hell yeah, we're having fun.'

Loz grinned. 'Hi niisan.'

Yazoo spoke up again. 'How's it going, brother?'

Cloud Strife chuckled into the phone. 'Oh man… I haven't had this much fun in years…'

Tifa giggled. 'We haven't even seen half our itinerary, but we've seen things that I'm sure nobody else has.'

'That's good.'

'Is Kadaj around?' Cloud asked suddenly. 'I'd have thought he'd be curious to hear this.'

Yazoo rolled his eyes fondly. 'He's in one of his modes. The writing one, you know? He says he's got inspiration again… we don't dare disturb him in case he loses something.'

'Ah. Well, that makes sense. Sorry we're a week late. Did the cheque make it alright?'

'Yes, thank you. It arrived just in time. This is taxes week.'

Cloud let out a sigh of relief. 'Oh good… I was hoping it would make it before you had to do your forms.'

'We're covered, brother. You can relax.'

'Good, good. Well, I hate to do this to you, but we've got to go. It's close to ten here and Yuffie's about ready to collapse. We kinda partied her out.' Cloud's voice changed tenor then, an affectionate quality overcoming it. 'Take care of each other, okay? I can't say when we'll be home, but we'll let you know. It should be within the next three weeks. And don't forget to make 'Daj eat if he's in his writing mode… you know how he gets, 'Zoo.'

Yazoo nodded to himself, though Cloud couldn't see it. 'Of course. Keep having fun. We expect lots of stories when you get back.'

'Naturally. Goodnight all… well, I guess it's good afternoon there…' Cloud chuckled and hung up.

Tifa giggled. 'He misses you guys, though he'd never admit it. So do I, actually. As fun as this has been, it'll be great to get home too. See you in awhile, guys. Bye.'

'Bye!' The other two chorused and hung up. Yazoo sighed, leaning his forehead against the wall. Loz came back into the kitchen, shedding his coat which he had forgotten to remove earlier. '…where's Wutai, niisan?' he asked randomly.

Yazoo stood up straight and moved toward the microwave and his forgotten pasta. 'It's on the other continent, Loz. Very far away.'

Loz pouted a little. 'Dang.'

After a moment he spoke again. 'Hey niisan?'

'Yes, Loz?'

'Is there any of that left? I'm hungry.'

'Sure. Take what you want, but leave some for 'Daj. I think I'm going to have to force feed him.'

Loz grinned. 'Can I help?'

'NO.'

'Aw, darn.'

'Remember the last time? I don't want to be cleaning potato off the ceiling again.'

Loz laughed.

* * *

/grin/ Yay for potato on the ceiling! 

Review please and thanks!


	4. Midnight Sorrow

This chapter is dedicated to my friend Bre, because it's her birthday today (Oct 4) and this is her present. She always encourages me when she sees me writing too. Happy Birthday Bre! You're awesome girl!

Also, a few terms: ototousan - little brother, niisan - big brother, gomen - sorry, and if I find any more I'll put them in the next chapter. For all the non-Japanese speakers out there. /smiles/

Also also, until I get the new prompts I've got typed up, there will be a hold on posts. Just so's ya know. But I haven't stopped this fic. Remember I'm using it as a buffer so there will (hopefully) never be more than a three week wait for updates again. Thanks for your understanding.

Anyway, enjoy le fic. XD

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Chapter 4 – Midnight Sorrow 

It was getting very late the next night, yet Kadaj's lamp wasn't the only one still burning. Yazoo had spent his entire Sunday attacking the heavy task that was taxes and now sat at his desk, going over the tax reports one last time before he sent them off. Cloud's last cheque had covered everything and they still had enough from their own savings for basic necessities. Yazoo sighed and rubbed his eyes, relieved. Glancing at the clock, he jumped when he realised how late it was. _Almost one o'clock… damn… I didn't even notice…_ He was about to wrap it up for the night when a soft knocking sounded at his door.

'Enter.'

Kadaj poked his head in, looking dazed.

'…'Daj?' This was the first time Yazoo had seen him properly since Friday evening in the bar. 'Come in. What's wrong?'

His younger brother met his eyes and Yazoo was surprised to see them glowing as they never had before.

'…I've done it.'

'You're finished?'

Kadaj sprinted forward abruptly to take his brother by the shoulders, excitement lighting his face. 'No, I haven't just _finished_… this is the one. This is it, 'Zoo. I'm going to send this one off.'

Yazoo started a bit, then relaxed. '…you've said this before…'

Kadaj's eyes blazed. 'Yes, but this time I _mean _it. I'm sending it off tomorrow.'

Aqua-coloured eyes, so much like his own, met Kadaj's with a look of tolerant affection. 'Alright. We'll send it off in the morning. Right now, you should get some sleep. You look exhausted; you've been up for almost forty-eight hours.'

Kadaj's face fell at his brother's somewhat dismissive words. '…Niisan… you've lost faith in me…'

Yazoo exhaled slowly; he hadn't meant to upset him. 'No, I haven't, Kadaj,' he replied, choosing his words carefully. 'I just… think it's time to try new things. Loz and I are looking for proper jobs… we're thinking of settling here. This way, we can be near some family at least and hopefully we'll get some stability back into our lives. I'm not saying don't be a songwriter… but until you get your break you've still got to find a way to live. We're going to be job-hunting soon… come with us. We'll find you something you'll enjoy and I promise you'll still have time to write.'

Kadaj just looked at him for a moment, then he let his chin drop to his chest with a heavy sigh, his bangs shadowing his eyes so that Yazoo could not read them. 'I don't… want you to have to work anymore. I want you to be able to relax. You haven't been relaxed since Mother died. Loz… I want him to be able to go to the gym whenever he wants, or take someone out for dinner when he can. I want you both to be happy. I don't want to have to rely on measly jobs. I _know_ I can make it big, not for me, but for you… and Mother. She wanted us to have more than what we did before she died. That's why we went touring, right? She wanted that for us. And I want _this _for us.'

Yazoo had gone very quiet at Kadaj's mention of their mother; she was not something the three regularly discussed. He took a slow breath, re-gathered his thoughts and stood up. Pulling Kadaj into his arms he embraced him, running his fingers through the boy's hair.

'Oh 'Daj… I'm sorry. I'm sorry because of the weight you bear. You saw it and we didn't… you were there when we lost her and I never stopped to consider what it would do to you. All this time, you've been carrying it and your songs are your release from the pain. I never realised. I should have listened to you better. If you can forgive me, we'll send your song off tomorrow and I'll be praying the hardest that it gets through.' He pulled away to look his brother in the eye, fondness shining in both aqua sets. 'Will that do ototousan?'

Kadaj nodded and hugged his brother again. 'Thanks niisan. That'll be fine.'

Yazoo smiled and shooed Kadaj toward the door. 'Go get some sleep. I'll see if I can find my stamps…' He glanced around his room wearily; the place was covered in papers. 'Oy… that might take some doing…'

Kadaj chuckled tiredly. 'I'll help you in the morning…' He trailed off as a huge yawn threatened to break his jaw.

'Go to bed, ototousan. Don't worry about anything for tonight, okay?'

The younger brother nodded, already half asleep. Yazoo stuck his head out into the hall to make sure Kadaj didn't collapse or anything on the way to his room, then shut his door and turned out his own light. Within five minutes the Shinrova household was completely silent but for the sound of light snoring from three very tired brothers.

* * *

The next morning Yazoo surprised himself by waking much later than was customary for him. Rising, he dressed quickly and started downstairs as usual, but for some reason this morning he paused by Kadaj's door. Usually he only knocked and hollered for Kadaj to get up, but instead he stepped up to the door and as silently as possible opened it and entered.

Kadaj's room was just as cluttered as Yazoo's. Papers were strewn everywhere, many of them crumpled up into little balls. Yazoo's eyes travelled over some of the un-crumpled ones, immediately recognising his brother's haphazard handwriting. The room was filled with half-finished songs, or perhaps half-forgotten memories that Kadaj had attempted to put down on paper. Yazoo let out a soft sigh. _I should have listened to his songs more closely… I might have noticed earlier… they're always so sad…_

His eyes fell on his brother then; the young man was sprawled on his bed, still half dressed from the night before and snoring into his pillow. A wave of guilt hit Yazoo as he realised Kadaj looked so much younger when he was asleep, almost as though he was back with their mother before the war, before the pain. _I've been so wrapped up in my own grief… and his songs brought that back to me, made me remember what I wanted to forget… Mother… he wants to remember you._ The eldest shut his eyes for a moment, fighting with himself; then he dropped his hand affectionately onto Kadaj's head. _I'll make it up to you, brother._ He reached down and pulled the covers up over Kadaj before turning to leave the room.

As he did so, something on Kadaj's bedside table caught his eye. It was another piece of paper, but this one was neatly printed and completely smooth. Yazoo paused, glanced warily at his sleeping sibling, then picked up the sheet and read it. It was a song Yazoo had never seen before, with instructions at the bottom as to what Kadaj envisioned for the music. Underneath the sheet was a disc which Kadaj had obviously burned himself, most likely with the music for the song on it. Yazoo blinked, read the paper again and suddenly smiled.

_…Midnight Sorrow… interesting…_

Replacing the paper, he stepped quietly into the hall and shut the door, entirely missing the pair of sleepy aqua eyes that had been observing him since he entered the room.

In the hall, Yazoo met Loz, who was just coming out of the bathroom.

'Mornin' 'Zoo. Sleep well?'

Yazoo answered almost absently. 'Yes, brother… I feel very much better.'

Loz sent him an odd look, then shrugged and said, 'That's good. What's for breakfast?'

'Toast. You've eaten all the eggs.'

'Darnit.'

After a minor squabble over who was going to be the one to get groceries this time, both of them settled into breakfast with a will. Yazoo was particularly hungry after his long night. They had to open the bar tonight; Loz suggested that they leave a decent length of time to set up with, as they had been rather rushed on Friday and Loz did not like having to rush any more than Yazoo did. They were similar in that respect; Kadaj was always the one who ran around in a flap if he ran out of time. (And considering his penchant for getting lost in his work, this happened quite often.) The rest of the day was theirs, however, and they decided to make good use of their time by going downtown.

'We can job hunt while we're wandering around,' Yazoo explained to Kadaj once he had woken up. 'I've still got to find my stamps… can we send your song in when we get back, 'Daj?'

The young songwriter bit his lip nervously, a look of consternation on his face. 'Um… well… actually, I was thinking this morning…'

Yazoo sighed inwardly; his brother, for all intents and purposes, looked like he was going to withdraw his statement yet again. However, his interest returned when Kadaj continued. 'I was thinking that I should send it in to Cloud. I know he doesn't know I write music, and he's away right now, so his associates probably won't figure out we're related.'

'Why would that be a problem?' Yazoo asked.

Kadaj ran his fingers through his hair; he had done extensive research on the industry at the beginning of his 'career' and knew what Yazoo did not. 'There's a certain unspoken rule that producers have to be careful about showing favouritism, because it can be construed as trying to push certain kinds of music or certain artists when producers are supposed to give everyone a fair chance. I don't want to put Cloud in a position like that, so it's better if I remain anonymous.'

Yazoo sent his brother a very odd look, but shrugged and nodded. 'Well, I always did wonder why you never told Cloud about your music… he still thinks you write poems… but now I understand. He'll recognise your name eventually, but if that's the way you want to play it, alright. If you'll package it up, we'll take the song downtown when we go.'

'Thanks 'Zoo. Trust me, it'll be better this way.'

'I hope so, for your sake, ototousan.'

Loz came bounding down the stairs, freshly showered and dressed, and bounced into the living room where the other two were. 'Are we going?' he asked excitedly.

'Yes, once 'Daj finishes his coffee,' Yazoo grinned at his youngest brother's hyperactivity. 'But don't forget the bat this time.'

'The bat?' Loz scratched his head in confusion.

Yazoo's lips twitched. 'Yes, to beat the fangirls off.'

Loz blushed scarlet. 'Zooooooo!'

Kadaj snorted into his coffee mug. 'What?'

'Don't ask!' Loz protested.

'I am asking!'

'Well don't!'

'Tell me anyway!'

'Noes!'

WHUMPH.

'Hey, no throwing pillows!'

'Don't ask then!'

It was another hour before the trio headed downtown, still laughing and picking feathers out of their hair.

* * *

One bike race later, all three were standing outside ShinRa Corporations, Kadaj clutching a manila envelope tight enough to crinkle it. As Yazoo and Loz dug spare change out of their many pockets to put in the parking meters, Kadaj took a moment and inhaled deeply, trying to prepare himself mentally for the possibility of rejection. It happened all the time, he knew; no matter how good a song might appear, if the producers who screened it weren't satisfied the song would never make it through. 

Standing there on the sidewalk, inches away from his destiny, Kadaj silently prayed that Midnight Sorrow would make it, if only well enough to enable his brothers to relax. _I so desperately want them to be able to live without worry… I know it might seem a little unreasonable and there will always be worries for us, but if I can lessen them even a bit… if this song can help me do that… please… let it pass their judgement…_

He was pulled from his reflective state by a comforting hand on his shoulder.

'Come on 'Daj…' Loz said encouragingly. 'If you don't do it now, you might never manage it. Go on, it'll be fine… and we'll still be your brothers afterward.'

Glancing behind him, Kadaj saw both his siblings smiling at him, the sort of smile that conveys both pride and companionship in one. They were letting him know, without words, that they were already proud of him for coming this far. Grinning back, Kadaj reached out and in one smooth motion slipped the envelope into the slot.

_…please…_

* * *

Fourteen stories above the mailbox that Kadaj was dropping his song into, a familiar blonde tapped a pen against her lips, trying to remember a certain date. Her eyes lit up as it came to her and she quickly scribbled it down. With a delighted whoop, she chucked the pen across the room, barely missing the tall, ebony-haired man who had just opened the door. 

'Oops… gomen, Vincent…'

The man chuckled and scooped her pen up off the floor. 'I take it you're finally done your reports, Miss Kurishi?' he asked, handing the writing implement back to her.

Kurry Kurishi smiled sheepishly and nodded. 'Yes! I'm finished! Finally, I can get back to the fun stuff!'

There was a whooshing noise as another figure shot past Vincent in the doorway and pounced on Kurry. 'Yay!' Kitty Tashimono shouted, accidentally deafening her best friend. 'Took you long enough! Now we can go look at those new songs in the inbox.'

Both Kurry and Vincent chuckled fondly at her enthusiasm. The blonde stretched and stood up. 'Yes, let's. I'm sick of this office for now.'

The three friends and co-workers made their way down to the elevator through the floor they had worked on together for the past seven years. ShinRa Corporations was built around the concept of spatial art, conducive of artistic thinking. The first through fifth floors were offices, where employees sorted through and dealt with all the business procedures of ShinRa Corporations. Floors six to ten were recording levels, eleven, twelve and thirteen were mostly storage and maintenance, fourteen was where the executives worked and level fifteen was entirely Cloud Strife's own personal offices. The entire building was modeled to encourage the fullest appreciation of music possible, in order for fair judgement to be passed on the music that was submitted.

Kurry, Kitty and Vincent worked on the fourteenth floor, all three Chief Executive Producers under Cloud. They were responsible for the final screenings of all material that passed through the building, and for setting up recording sessions and release dates. Approvals were officially made by Cloud, but he had never turned down a request that had passed the requirements of his executives. The company was well-run, efficient without being overbearingly strict and its employees had never had a complaint in the seven years since it had re-opened after the war. In fact, under Cloud's direction it had flourished, which is why his right-hand man and two female counterparts had practically forced him to take Tifa on the world tour, as a sort of celebration of their success. Cloud had wanted them all to take the trip, but Kurry and Kitty insisted on staying to take care of ShinRa and Vincent had wisely declined after deciding he didn't want to be the third wheel. Leaving Vincent as temporary president, Cloud had finally consented and broached the subject to Tifa, who loved the idea of a vacation instantly. It had been nearly three months since they left and there hadn't been a hitch once, for which all three officials were expressly grateful. They were still looking forward to their friend's return, however, eager to hear the stories and to have him see some of the new material that had been approved.

Practically bouncing out of the elevator on the first floor, Kitty all but dragged the other two over to the mail desk. 'Got anything for us today, Al?' she asked the young man behind the desk excitedly.

Alphonse Elric, ShinRa's current general manager, chuckled and plucked a set of keys from a hook next to his computer. 'Let's go check, shall we?'

They followed Al down a short corridor that ended in a small locked room. To preserve the sanctity and security of all submitted works, at least two executives had to be present when this particular door was opened, and Al had been granted keeper of the keys in a special contract that stated he could not open the door without the presence of the executives or risk punishment by law. With Kitty, Kurry and Vincent there, he now unlocked it and slipped into the small adjoining chamber, returning swiftly with only one envelope.

'Inspiration must be slow out there today,' he supposed, handing the lone envelope to Kitty. 'Thank you 'Fonz,' she replied, grinning fondly at her bronze-haired friend. 'This'll be sufficient. We'll let you know once we've had a look, ne?'

A budding music publicist, Al nodded eagerly. 'Great, I'll look forward to it.'

They left him to his duties and returned to the fourteenth floor, settling comfortably in the large plush chairs in the room Cloud liked to call the 'Halfway Point'. The Halfway Point was spacious, comfortable, and airy, equipped with a coffee machine, a fridge and a stereo system for sampling new music. The room basically enabled each individual person to experience the new music in his or her own way; Vincent liked to stare out of the huge window over the city as he listened; Kurry always had to snack on something at the same time and Kitty usually curled up in one of the big chairs and closed her eyes so she could really savour the sounds. It was easily the most comfortable room in the building, and it was also the point at which the music either made it halfway to production or was rejected, hence the name.

Now, however, comfort was the last thing on their minds. Vincent and Kurry leaned forward excitedly as Kitty neatly slit the manila envelope and slipped its contents onto her lap.

'Oooh, there's a disk… stick that in the stereo… and here are the lyrics, I think…'

Kurry took the recording and rose to place it in the player. Kitty read the lyrics quickly and passed them to Vincent. 'Looks good to me, Vince…'

'Let's hear the music first, shall we?'

The button was pressed and the first notes began to sift into the room. Kurry slipped over to the fridge and silently took a bowl of grapes from it, plucking one and popping it thoughtfully into her mouth. Then she swept over to the window and borrowed the lyrics from Vincent. 'Hmm…'

'What do you think?' he asked after she'd read the first bit.

'It's… different… interestingly different…' Kurry murmured, barely listening as she tried to imagine how the lyrics would sound with the piano behind them.

…_Until then it's her chain_

_Binding her to life_

_She'll search for the beat_

_Until the dawn of the 'morrow_

_The absence of the music_

_Is her midnight sorrow…_

'I like it,' Kitty said once the music stopped playing. 'It has a very… real flavour to it.'

'I thought that as well,' Vincent said, abandoning the window in favour of his usual chair. 'It is dark, yet full of hope.'

Kurry tapped another grape against her lips, considering all the perspectives of the song. 'The music is haunting, yes, but in a way that implies passion for the dance and the world the girl lives in. It's an excellent message, especially in that the people of our city need reminders of their passion for life while they're in the process of rebuilding it. I really like this one… I think it could be a hit.'

'As do I,' Vincent piped up. 'It is different enough to attract the public's attention. What is the name on the form, Kitty?'

Kitty glanced around for the misplaced paper. Scooping it up, she unfolded it and read aloud. 'Kadaj Shinrova… why does that sound so familiar…?'

Vincent shrugged. 'We'll take a day to think it over and call him, or her, up tomorrow.'

The two women agreed. Kitty packaged everything up again and placed the envelope in the 'progress to conference' inbox, but she couldn't shake the nagging suspicion that she had seen that name somewhere before…

* * *

And things start to heat up…. /grin/ 

Review, please and thanks!


	5. Enter the Assassin

Chapter 5 – Enter the Assassin

* * *

As Vincent's twenty-four hour deadline drew nearer, Kadaj sat in his living room reading a novel, completely unaware of how close his dream was to becoming a reality. After wandering downtown for three hours, the boys had decided to return home since it was always rather dead on a Monday, and now Kadaj was totally engrossed in the story in his hand; so much so that he did not even notice the spiky-haired youth sneaking up on him until it was too late.

'YARGH!'

'Gah!' Kadaj shouted as he and his book went tumbling off the couch. 'Loz! What the heck…?' He ended up tussling with his brother, both of them laughing like crazy, rolling around and crashing into random pieces of furniture. Finally the noise reached Yazoo in his room and he came stomping down the stairs.

'Guys! I'm trying to find enough envelopes to send off the tax reports; could you please stop thundering around like you're destroying the house? It's extremely nerve-wracking!'

'Aww, 'Zoo, I was winning!' Loz pouted, having pinned a struggling Kadaj. 'Yazoo! Help!' Kadaj hollered, still laughing too hard to be very effective against his burly younger brother. Yazoo, however, was in no mood for games. 'Loz, get off him and try to keep it down, please?'

'You're no fun, 'Zoo,' Loz sighed, but obligingly stopped wrestling Kadaj.

'Don't worry brother, once he's done the taxes we'll pounce him and tickle him until he's blue,' Kadaj threatened playfully.

'Fine, whatever. I'm going to take a shower,' Yazoo said absently, running his fingers through his hair. 'Urgh, nastyness…' The eldest wandered off, still muttering.

The younger two quieted once he left, returning to their activities. About half an hour later, Kadaj was about to doze off over his book when Loz made a very strange noise into his soda.

'Mmph… whassa matter now, Loz?'

The youngest brother's eyes had widened to twice their normal size and he seemed caught halfway between being terrified and laughing his head off. 'Oh crap… Kadaj, we're brothers, you love me, ne? Would you protect me against anything?'

Kadaj raised an eyebrow, faint traces of apprehension starting to tickle the hairs at the nape of his neck. '…Loz, what have you done NOW?'

'LOZ!'

Yazoo's bellow from upstairs caused both brothers to cringe. 'Whatever it is, it must be _bad_ for 'Zoo to holler like that…' Kadaj murmured, concern flickering in his eyes. Loz bit his lower lip, still trying desperately to hold in his mirth.

When Yazoo appeared in the doorway, dripping wet, seething and only in a towel, even Kadaj could not help cracking up. 'Oh my gods… 'Zoo… your hair… it's PINK!' He broke into gales of laughter again, while Loz staggered toward the door, bent double with mirth and trying to get away from his enraged brother. The two began chasing each other around the house, Loz still laughing and Yazoo yelling obscenities, while Kadaj just chuckled and went back to his book.

It took Yazoo two hours to remove the 'revolting colour' from his hair and by that time they were ready to head down to Seventh Heaven. Loz steered clear of his oldest brother while they set up, but after a few minutes Yazoo started chuckling to himself and admitted that it had been a good prank. 'One of your better ones, bro.' Loz beamed and set about his work with a new will, making sure the chairs were neatly tucked in and the glasses stacked according to Yazoo's wishes. It was an old ritual between the two; after every prank, the youngest would pay special attention to things to get back in the eldest' good books… not that he was ever _really _in Yazoo's 'bad books'.

Meanwhile, the middle brother was busy preparing for his own duties. Backing out of the kitchen, Kadaj hauled two garbage bags out to the dumpster, and neatly tossed them in. Lost in thought, he didn't notice the shadowy figure on the roof above him. It disappeared as Kadaj turned back to the door.

The silver haired youth sighed when he tugged on the handle and it refused to budge. 'Darnit… Yazoo's so paranoid… how many times do I have to tell him not to lock this thing…?' Still muttering to himself, Kadaj rounded the corner of the building and walked smack into a tall imposing figure.

'What the…?'

'I'm sorry sir, but I'm going to have to ask for ID,' Loz deadpanned, arms folded dauntingly across his chest. Kadaj actually started to fish his wallet out of his back pocket before jumping his brother, catching him in a headlock and mussing his hair. 'Darn you Loz!'

Loz burst out laughing and swiped an arm at Kadaj, obviously still in a mischievous mood. The shorter brother ducked and went running inside. 'Yazoooooo! Loz tried to ID me again!'

'It's not our fault you're short!' Yazoo hollered back, grinning when Kadaj pouted. 'No fair!'

Loz patted Kadaj's head affectionately. 'No worries bro.' Kadaj mock-glared.

'Okay, it's almost time to open, you two. You can murder him later, Kadaj, right now we have work to do,' Yazoo joked, flicking the taps on. The other brothers chuckled and moved to their respective workstations.

Within minutes the place was nearly full. Kadaj was already gathering a tray-load of glasses to wash when he noticed a familiar dark-haired woman enter, trailing her best friend. Eyes lighting up, Kadaj slipped over to Yazoo and tugged his sleeve so he could murmur in his ear.

'Hey… can we trade jobs for a few minutes? Please?'

Yazoo blinked; Kadaj had never requested this before. 'Um… sure, if you think you're up to it… but if you get an order you don't know how to make yet, call me, ne?'

Kadaj beamed. 'Thank you, bro. Just for a few minutes, promise.'

Yazoo was about to ask why, when he caught sight of the two females approaching the bar. Lips twitching, he just nodded and relieved Kadaj of his tray. Kadaj absently straightened his shirt and tried to appear nonchalant as Kitty and Kurry stepped up and chose seats.

'Well, hello again,' he greeted them cheerfully. 'What'll it be?'

'The usual, if you remember,' Kurry answered playfully, testing him a little. The young man grinned. 'Spritzer and Bailey's, ne?'

Kitty smiled. 'Well, I'm impressed. Only the second night and he's got it memorized.'

Kadaj tapped his head and winked at her. 'I have a good memory. Coming right up.'

As he mixed the drinks, his most recent tune slipped into his mind unbidden and he unconsciously began to hum it. He often hummed or sang snippets of his own songs when he thought no-one could hear him. When he lifted his gaze again, however, Kitty and Kurry were staring at him with near identical expressions of surprise.

'…where did you learn that tune?' Kitty asked, incredulous.

'Um…'

'…Kadaj!' Kurry burst out suddenly. 'Kadaj _Shinrova._'

Kadaj blanched. 'Wha… how do you know my last name? I don't think I told you before…'

'You submitted _Midnight Sorrow_ to ShinRa, did you not?' Kitty replied smoothly, having put two and two together.

'…'

Kadaj gaped as a little light clicked on in his mind. 'Kitty… Kitty Tashimono… and Kurry Kurishi. Kami, you're my niisan's chief executive producers!'

Both women blinked. '…your _niisan_?'

Kadaj winced. Oops. 'Um… well, only half… Cloud Strife is my half-brother…'

Kurry beamed, reaching over the bar to shake Kadaj's hand. 'Well, this is phenomenal timing. It's wonderful to meet you.'

Kitty extended her hand as well, the young man shaking it rather timidly now that he knew who they really were. 'Yes, we loved your song… oh, but we never discuss business outside of work… could we possibly set up a meeting?'

Now completely flabbergasted, Kadaj could barely get two words out. 'Um… uh… w-well… I…'

Kurry could barely suppress a giggle at the poor youth's blustering. 'Give him a minute, dear, he's obviously in shock.' Her lips twitched furiously as she added, 'Perhaps he needs a stiff drink…'

Kitty coughed, now also trying to hide a smile. 'Well, at the very least, he should sit down… before he falls down…'

Clutching the edge of the counter, Kadaj rapidly shook his head to clear it. 'No! No, I'm alright, thank you,' he finally managed to say. 'I just… I mean… you liked my song?'

The women shared an amused glance. 'Yes, is that so strange? You must have enough faith in yourself to handle acceptance, since you sent it to us,' Kitty replied.

Kadaj wasn't sure how to answer that. 'Well… uh… actually…'

Ignoring his stammering, Kurry leaned forward a little and gazed into Kadaj's eyes for a moment, effectively silencing him. She spoke quietly, yet somehow her words were the loudest sound in his ears.

'You were so prepared for rejection that you didn't consider the possibility it would be accepted, did you?'

Speechless, Kadaj nodded. _…she read me like a book…_

Pulling away, Kurry smiled sincerely at him. 'Well, if you'll be kind enough to tell us when next you are available, we'll be happy to set up a meeting.'

'…right now?'

'Right now.'

As their words really began to sink in, a slow grin started on Kadaj's face, growing until it could have lit the entire room. 'Well, gee… I dunno, when's good for you?'

'Tomorrow, eleven o'clock?'

'I'll be there.'

'Perfect.' They smiled again in unison, a testament to how long they had been friends. 'We'll see you then.'

Finished with their drinks, they both went off to dance. Kadaj stared after them for a moment, his mind still whirling. Then it truly hit him, like a tidal wave, that he was going to a meeting with ShinRa. It was his every hope and dream… and they _liked_ his song… they weren't calling him there just to reject him… _it's really happening_…

With a whoop that caused several patrons to glance over at him in confusion, Kadaj bolted for the back room.

'Yazoo!' he hollered, jumping on his older brother's back and nearly causing him to drop a glass. 'I did it! I did it! It's in, we did it, and I'm going to a meeting tomorrow with ShinRa!'

Completely unprepared for this outburst, Yazoo flailed a little, laughing despite his bewilderment. 'What? 'Daj, get off me and explain yourself, please… I nearly killed the glass…'

Bouncing excitedly back onto the floor, Kadaj spontaneously did a little dance while managing to explain to Yazoo what had taken place. When he was finished, Yazoo sat abruptly on the counter, trying to let it sink in as Kadaj himself had done. '…you're serious, aren't you? I _knew_ I'd seen those women _somewhere…_'

'Isn't it awesome?'

Yazoo looked at his brother, and for the first time in many long years Kadaj saw his eyes light up in a true smile. 'Yes, 'Daj, it's wonderful. We'll tell Loz after we close, though… he'll want to announce it to the whole club and you haven't even been to the meeting yet.'

* * *

It was growing late. He pulled a bit of thread from his sleeve, idly flicking it to the floor. The room was dark but for the weak glow of the half-moon outside. A sudden breeze crept up his back, the hairs rising on the nape of his neck. 

'…what have you learned?'

His contact shut the window through which he had just entered, ensuring that none would hear their conversation.

'Their routine is simple. The plan will be easy to execute. Give me another two days; I wish to be certain.'

He turned; his face remained shrouded in shadow but there was no mistaking the frustration in his tone. 'You've had long enough. I want him before his half-brother gets back.'

The contact stiffened. 'Choose your words carefully; I do not appreciate being rushed.'

A pause, then: 'Release your weapon, I meant no disrespect. I am a little anxious; you can understand my position, can you not?'

The outline of the man relaxed about a fraction of an inch. 'I shall be ready to act in two days. You hired me to do a delicate job; I must do it in my own way.'

The employer smirked, thinking his companion couldn't see. 'I hired you because you are the best in the business and you have your own motivation.'

Jade eyes flashed in the darkness, their owner irritated by the other man's cocky attitude. 'What makes you think he'll retaliate? The boy is only his half-brother.'

'Did he not retaliate at Rocket Town?'

A low growl was his only reply.

'Exactly my point. You will be able to have your revenge, but only if we obtain the boy before he returns. Otherwise, he will be able to prevent it. Are we clear?'

'Yes.'

'Good. Do not bring him to me… contact me when you have him and I will come to make sure he is the right one. We are finished for tonight.'

The jaded one inclined his head and vanished out the window without another word. The remaining figure relaxed only after he was sure that the other had gone; his aura was very disconcerting. However, it was a small price to pay for the results he was going to get. With a malevolent smirk, the man retreated back into the shadows of the building as though the meeting had never taken place.

* * *

And the suspense builds… 

Review, please and thanks! D


	6. Kidnapped

Chapter 6 – Kidnapped

Despite his excitement, Kadaj slept like a log when they got home from the bar that night. It felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. All the worrying, the work, the disappointment, the failures… it was all worth it just to hear that someone enjoyed his song. His sleep for once was untroubled and when he woke, it was with a vitality that he had not felt since before their mother died.

His brothers were already waiting for him in the kitchen. Yazoo grinned when Kadaj came in. 'Here's your breakfast, bro… wouldn't want you to be hungry during your meeting.' Loz straightened up from the oven and brought a freshly warmed plate over to Kadaj, who was by now gaping at the French toast, his favourite breakfast. 'Aw guys, you didn't have to…' he replied, realising that they must have gone to the store early for maple syrup and eggs. 'But thanks all the same.' Grinning, Kadaj sat down and plowed through three helpings of toast before he sat back with a satisfied sigh.

'That was excellent.'

'Glad you liked it.'

Yazoo set his empty coffee mug down and smiled. 'We'll be riding downtown with you. I want to get more resumes out. Will you be alright alone?'

Kadaj nodded; it wasn't that he didn't want his brothers with him, but this was something he had to take care of on his own.

* * *

At quarter to eleven Kadaj stood before the ShinRa building, having just waved his siblings off. He stared straight up at it for a few minutes, just trying to take in the scope of his half-brother's empire. Then he took a deep breath and pulled the door open to step inside. 

The interior was comfortably cool in contrast to the heat of summer outside. The lobby was spacious and clean, the tile floors gleaming under halogen lights. Kadaj took a gander around the place before striding up to the front desk where a young man was sitting reading a book.

'Um… excuse me…'

The bronze-haired fellow glanced up, his novel swiftly vanishing under the desk. 'Hello, how may I help you?' he asked cordially, his voice pleasant with the tinge of an accent that Kadaj couldn't place.

'I'm here for a meeting… my name is…'

'Kadaj Shinrova, I know,' the other man smiled. 'They're expecting you upstairs. I'm Alphonse Elric.' He extended a hand and Kadaj shook it. 'Follow me please.'

He led Kadaj to the elevators and pressed the button for the correct floor. 'So, you're the one who submitted that piece yesterday?' Alphonse asked as they ascended.

'I guess so… was there only one?' Kadaj replied.

'Yes.'

'Ah. Well, that would be me then.'

'Excellent. I can't wait to read it. Call me Al, by the way, everyone does.'

Despite how nervous he was, Al's calm attitude served to relax Kadaj a bit as the elevator bell rang and they exited on the fourteenth floor. Striding down the hall, Al poked his head into a couple of rooms before finally leading Kadaj into an office. Trailing after him as he tried to take everything in, Kadaj's gaze fell on a tall man with ebony hair sitting casually on the edge of the desk, dictating something to a young woman seated on the couch. He stopped as they came in, however, and nodded at Al. 'That's all for today, Marlene, thank you. Would you mind trading Al for front desk duty while we have our meeting?'

'Sure, Vincent,' she answered readily, flashing a winning smile at both new arrivals as she walked out, clipboard tucked neatly under her arm. Vincent chuckled and stood, holding out a hand to Kadaj. 'That was my assistant, Marlene. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Shinrova.'

Before Kadaj could answer, a voice behind him said, 'Vince, we're out of coffee again… oh my goodness, is it eleven o'clock already?' Turning, Kadaj found Kurry smiling at him from the doorway. 'The day just got away from me, I guess. Come into the Halfway Point then, my good sirs, and we'll have a chat. I'll make some tea… do you like tea, Kadaj-san?'

Nodding, Kadaj was led to the Halfway Point, a little surprised at how casual everyone was. They let him select a chair first and he chose a plush armchair across from the stereo. Kurry came in after a moment with a tray of mugs, and began to distribute them. Kitty trailed after her holding an envelope Kadaj recognised very well.

'Hello again!' Kitty greeted him cheerily before seating herself in her customary place. Kadaj smiled shyly at her, thanked Kurry for the tea and sat back, sipping idly and waiting for directions.

Vincent had settled himself on the couch opposite him, Al perched at one end and Kitty and Kurry flanking him in chairs on either side. 'Well, my young friend, what do you think of the company?' Vincent asked, the sweep of his arm indicating all Kadaj had seen so far.

'Um… it's impressive, sir, but to be honest, it's nothing like I expected,' Kadaj answered rather sheepishly.

'He's got a lot of expectations, this one,' Kurry said, smiling secretively and winking at Kadaj, who blushed.

Vincent stroked his chin thoughtfully, fixing Kadaj with a searching gaze. 'Has he now? Well, let us dispel some of the illusions that I am sure he has come to believe about us.'

'To be quite frank, Mr. Shinrova, we are not a cold, cruel member of the frigid business world, as the rumours say. We are here for one purpose and one purpose only; rebuilding our city through the psychological strength, and profits, of music. Think about it. This was once a broken city, torn by war. Now, people rise every morning, listen to our music over breakfast or during work, and find the hope and strength to get through another day. Our profits almost entirely go toward reconstruction, helping to bring a bit of order back to peoples' lives, minus the costs of actually running the company. All of our salaries come from outside the company; Kitty is a graphic design artist, Kurry is a writer, and I am a musician myself. Only a few of our employees obtain salaries from our sales, besides the music artists themselves; the rest goes back to the community, which keeps buying our music. There is even a contract you can sign stating that a portion of your proceeds can go to the community, if you wish. You see how this works now, Mr. Shinrova?'

Kadaj nodded. 'Yes… that's exactly why I wanted to become a songwriter. I know how much music affects people and I was hoping to be able to bring peoples' hope back. That and give my brothers a chance for a decent life…' he ended in a murmur, but Kurry heard it.

'Pardon?'

Kadaj flushed visibly at having been caught thinking out loud. 'Um… well… see, my older brother Yazoo works really hard taking care of us, and my younger brother Loz doesn't get to have half the things he should because we've got to save up for the bills. I just want them to be able to relax.'

All four of them stared at him for a moment, before wide smiles appeared on each of their faces.

'Well, that cinches it,' Kurry said, taking another sip of tea.

'Yup,' Kitty nodded, settling back in her chair.

Kadaj blinked, confused. 'Um… if I may ask, what are you talking about?'

'You're in.'

Vincent's calm proclamation startled him. 'What?'

'I said, you're in. We'll start production as soon as possible.'

It was such a simple statement, yet Kadaj had been waiting to hear it since he began writing music. Quite abruptly all the adrenaline that had been rushing through him during the meeting flowed from him like a river and he nearly let his eyes close in relief.

'…thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me.'

The four of them smiled at him. 'Oh, I think we have some idea,' Kurry replied with a slight smirk.

'Now, all that being said,' continued Vincent, 'we _are_ a place of business and obviously you represent an investment of our time and resources. Therefore, after the production of your single, but _before_ its release, you will be asked to sign a contract stating that you are happy with our management and such specifics for a predetermined amount of time. After that time has passed, you will be given the option of renewing your contract or taking a different path. Understood?'

'Yes,' Kadaj answered.

'What we are proposing for you,' Vincent told him, 'is to promote _Midnight Sorrow_ as your hit single and build a CD around it for release sometime within the next few weeks. You must know that we do radio as well as music production; it is very easy for us to promote a single enough for people to buy the CD. Do you have any other works that could be submitted for it?'

Kadaj took a thoughtful sip of his tea, running through the several dozen songs that he had written and filed in his mind. Many of them, he knew, were nowhere near the league that these people had put _Midnight Sorrow_ into. But some of them, perhaps, could be improved; restyled a little, edited and made as good as possible for this release. 'Yes, I do, but I'll have to pull them and look at them myself first, if you don't mind,' he finally answered.

'Not at all. We can call another meeting whenever you're ready.'

Meanwhile, Kitty had pulled the lyrics sheet from the envelope in her hands and passed it to Alphonse. Kadaj couldn't help blushing a little; this was the first time anyone besides his brothers had read his work. 'So… can I ask what you guys thought of it?' he inquired quietly.

Kurry quickly repeated what she had told the others on their first hearing of the music. When she was finished, Kadaj could barely keep from gaping. 'Er…'

Kitty chuckled amiably. 'Aww, don't be flustered. We mean every word. It's an interesting concept; one that we think would be capable of doing very well with the public.'

Al had finished reading; he passed the sheet to Vincent. As he did so, Kadaj noticed a glance pass between him and Kurry, the former giving the latter the slightest nod. Wondering vaguely what that meant, Kadaj was about to ask when Vincent checked his watch and said, 'Oops, I've got another meeting in a few minutes… we're getting a new sponsor from out of town. I'm sorry to cut this short, Mr. Shinrova, but duty calls. Kurry, would you set up a series of meeting times with our new protégé here?'

Everyone stood and shook hands again. Vincent disappeared quite quickly, leaving Kitty, Kurry and Alphonse to show Kadaj out.

'Sorry about him, he's very laid back so he often forgets the time,' Kitty apologised as the three of them escorted Kadaj to the elevator. 'We'll be in touch to set up meeting times, okay?'

'Well, hang on,' Kurry interjected. 'It would be easier to sit down and go over a schedule with you… are you going to be at the bar tonight?'

Kadaj nodded. 'Yes. We can talk for a bit before we open, if you can get there at five-thirty.'

'Excellent. See you then.'

Once the young man had gone, Kurry sidled over to Al as he was pouring himself another cup of tea.

'So… what did you think of him?'

Al took a slow sip of his drink, rolling the liquid in his mouth as he contemplated his answer. After a moment he swallowed and allowed a half-smirk to cross his face.

'…I was thinking, 'There is a man who is going to make a difference in this half-dead city'.'

Kurry's lips quirked. 'Mmhmm… he takes after his half-brother.'

Al blinked. '…he's related to Cloud?'

'Yup.'

'…well, now I'm even more impressed.'

'Yes… not to mention he's intelligent and nice to look at, ne?'

Not bothering to wait for a response, Kurry sauntered off back to work.

Al waited until she was out of earshot before chuckling softly into his tea.

* * *

As he walked down the street after exiting the ShinRa building, Kadaj swore to himself that he'd never lose faith in his muses again. If he hadn't had the promise of another meeting tonight he might not have believed that this was happening at all. It was too surreal; after so many months, _years_, of waiting, he was finally in the music industry. He couldn't wait to get home and tell his brothers. 

'Oof!'

'Ack…' Kadaj jumped a little as he ran into a young boy who had appeared out of nowhere in front of him. '…sorry, kid. Are you okay?'

The boy glanced up at him with frightened eyes before running off without a word. Quirking an eyebrow at this odd behaviour, Kadaj shrugged and continued to his bike. Loz would be excited to hear about the meeting and he didn't want to keep his brother waiting…

The shadowed figure waited patiently for the boy to return, keeping an eye on the young man as he mounted his bike. Once the youth was gone, he turned to where the boy had been waiting and wishing he were anywhere but here.

'…good job, child. Take your payment and go home.'

The boy shuddered at the silky voice, grabbed the coins from the shadow's hand and bolted.

He turned and gazed up the road that his target had traversed for a moment, mentally preparing for his task. His reverie was interrupted, however, by the ringing of a cell phone in his pocket. He casually flipped it open.

'…I'm ready now.'

* * *

Three engines roared in unison as the Shinrova clan made their way toward Seventh Heaven. Kadaj had poured out the entire story to his brothers, reminding them to keep it under wraps until the release date. Loz and Yazoo swore they'd never tell a soul. Loz promptly ran down to the corner store and came back with a tub of cookie dough ice cream to celebrate with; all three of them were addicted to it. Kadaj fell asleep shortly after, worn out from all the excitement, so they let him snooze until it was time to head for the bar. 

Pulling up, the brothers dismounted. Kadaj was the first one at the door and was promptly ambushed by Kitty and Kurry.

'Gah! You two are as bad as Loz!' Kadaj gasped. Behind him Loz laughed. 'Comrades!' he joked, slinging an arm around each of the girls and guiding them inside.

The five of them spent a pleasant hour talking amongst themselves before the bar opened. Kadaj set up a series of meetings with the producers and they laid out for him an efficient production plan that would lead to the release of his CD within a month's time. Kadaj assured them of his brothers' confidence and thereafter Kurry and Kitty were good friends of the Shinrova brothers. Kurry and Yazoo discovered a common penchant for dry sarcasm, while Loz and Kitty reminisced on various shenanigans they had each pulled in the past.

Seventh Heaven was not particularly busy that evening, so the young men spent some time chatting with the girls about random topics and by the end of the night the conversation had worked its way back around to Kadaj.

'We had our publicist listen to your single and he's predicting a high rate of sales,' Kurry was saying. 'I'm sure Cloud will be enthralled to hear his half-brother is coming out with an album.'

Kitty nodded, but Kadaj glanced up sharply.

'But you can't tell him.'

Both women paused. 'Why not? I thought you'd be anxious to let him know it's been approved.'

'Well yeah, but we've got to prolong it as long as possible or he'll get called for favouritism.'

Kurry wrinkled her nose. 'Pfft, favouritism. Old wives' tale sort of thing, if you ask me,' she scoffed, but Kadaj didn't look so certain.

'Please, keep it between us for now. I don't want to take the chance.'

Kitty sighed. 'Alright, alright, we'll keep it low profile for now. But he _will_ find out eventually.'

'The later, the better.'

Already secretly impressed at Kadaj's concern for Cloud's wellbeing, Kitty swiftly changed the subject. 'Have you considered going on tour?' she asked.

Kadaj finished stacking the glasses and started wiping the counters down. 'Um, not really… Kurry actually had it right on, I didn't really consider what would happen if _Midnight Sorrow_ made it through. What do you recommend?'

'I'd say wait until we see how well your music does and if there's a big demand for it, we can set up a promotional tour; you know, album signing, meet-and-greet, that sort of thing. There are music conventions all over the continent that we could send you to, but it's entirely up to you how you want us to handle this,' Kitty explained.

'Ah. Makes sense. I'll think about it.'

Finished, Kadaj picked up his coat and called to Loz. 'Are we ready to go?'

'Just about,' the younger Shinrova answered, placing the last chair upside-down on a table.

Yazoo came out of the kitchen, flicking off the light as he went. 'I'm done, we can leave whenever. Are you ladies okay to get home?'

Kurry nodded. 'I only had one drink and I danced it off, as usual. We're fine.'

Yazoo smiled. 'My apologies, it's habitual for me to check.'

'You work in a bar _and _you check to make sure people aren't driving home drunk. Man, I don't think there's a better bartender anywhere on the continent,' Kurry teased, making the eldest flush a little. 'Ahem… ladies first…'

While Yazoo made sure everything was secure, Kitty and Kurry sauntered casually down the street a little to where the boys' bikes were resting. Kadaj, walking backwards before them, seemed to be lost in thought when randomly he came out with, 'What makes you guys so sure a song will do well, huh? I mean, how do you know?'

Kurry smiled her secret smile. 'Oh, we get instinctive feelings sometimes; we're not infallible, our tries do fall through on occasion. But when you've spent enough time listening to music and reading lyrics and the like, you tend to get a feel for it.'

Kitty's lips twitched as she added, 'Not to mention, if you get a guy as good-looking as you the music is almost guaranteed to be a hit… you go on tour once and the ladies will be clamouring to see more of you, trust me.'

Kadaj's complexion went a deep scarlet at her words. 'W-what? You're crazy!' He chuckled, trying to cover some of his embarrassment.

'What are _you_ talking about? You'll have fangirls mobbing you if you're not careful,' Kurry said, winking slyly.

Kadaj couldn't help but grin. 'Yeah, well… I highly doubt anybody will notice me _that_ intensely. And what will they do, kidnap me?'

As the words left his lips, there was a screech of tires. A long black limousine hurtled to a stop at the curb behind Kadaj, making him jump. In a split second he heard the door click open and felt a sharp tug on his belt. He stumbled backwards, cracking his head painfully on the doorframe. Stars erupted in his vision… he heard shouting that was suddenly, frighteningly muffled… the last thing he saw before he blacked out was a pair of jade eyes gleefully leering at him as the darkness closed in.

* * *

The limousine roared off, leaving the other four gaping on the sidewalk. Complete silence reigned, broken after a good minute by Kitty. 

'…what the HELL just happened?'

A cold knot of fear gripped Yazoo's heart. 'I… I think Kadaj was just kidnapped.'

Loz actually snorted in disbelief. 'For real?'

Kurry looked utterly flabbergasted. 'But… but… I didn't _mean_ it… I was joking about the fangirl thing!'

Loz's eyes abruptly darkened into anger. 'That was no fangirl. Come on!' He spun on his heel and ran for his bike.

Kicking it into gear, he thundered off in the direction the limo had gone. Not bothering to look back to see if the others were following him, Loz wrenched the bike to the left. _Ha… they turned down the one-way…_ At the far end he could see red tail-lights, already tiny dots against the gathering darkness.

Gunning the engine with no regard for speed limits, Loz shot like a bullet down the middle of the road, racing to catch up with the car that held his brother captive. _I've got to get him back… Yazoo will lose his mind if I don't…_

It had happened before. One time Kadaj had fallen out of a tree and broken his arm. They were very young then, but Loz could still remember the look of absolute terror on Yazoo's face. He had always been the one to look out for them, keep them safe and out of danger; his mother's responsibility resting on his shoulders now that she was gone. Loz knew Yazoo would be absolutely devastated if anything happened to Kadaj… he would be too, but the fear was so much more keenly felt by his eldest brother…

Nearly snarling in determination, Loz pressed his bike to its full capacity and began to gain on the car. It turned right, then left, then left again, trying to lose him; he was sure they had noticed his pursuit. There had begun to be traffic as well; Loz had to slow down or risk injuring another party. He barely managed to catch a glimpse of the vehicle as it turned into the industrial district, a section of town long out of use. The honking of a horn distracted him; he barely managed to stop in time for a red light and then nearly danced with frustration until it changed. He sped up again as he left the busy streets; he saw no-one as he drew close to the docks. Only when he realised that he had lost them did he stop the bike, slamming the handlebars in frustration.

'Dammit!'

* * *

_His mind was swirling somewhere between reality and unconsciousness… flashes of fire burst behind his eyes… he thought he heard a condescending voice speaking out of the dark…_

_'That's the one… finish it however you wish…'_

_Footsteps in the shadows, drawing further away, until there was once again silence…_

…the darkness slowly receded, leaving him with a pounding headache. He tried to sit up, found that he was able, though it made his head swim. He sat a moment to clear it and when he could see properly again, he glanced at his surroundings.

The expansive room reminded Kadaj of the inside of an old warehouse, and that is in fact exactly what it was. Rusted girders and piles of debris sat gathering cobwebs in the corners, while broken chains hung from the high ceiling. He didn't bother to take in any more; forcing himself to his feet, he tried to run, only to be knocked flat by a side blow ten paces later. He landed in a pile of old cardboard, dust and cobwebs making him cough and choke. As it settled he raised his head blearily, still fighting the throbbing pain in his mind. His attacker stood over him, deadly calm and half hidden by shadow, which only increased the fear roiling through Kadaj.

'…hmm… how delicate you are… like a little dove…'

The silken voice froze his blood in his veins.

'You're so frightened, little dove… just relax… it will all be over soon…'

'Who are you? W-why are you doing this?' Kadaj whispered, his voice too thick with terror to be any more forceful.

'…I have a job to complete, little dove. That is all. And you are going to die as a result. It is a tough thing, but life and death are difficult. That is the way things are. However, I suppose you do have the right to know the name of the person destined to send you to your fate… remember it well, little dove, so you can tell the guardian of Hell when you reach him… my name is Sephiroth…'

Something silver flashed in the darkness. Kadaj's shout of panic was drowned out, however, by the sound of shattering glass and a roaring figure landing hard on the cement in the gloom.

* * *

Please don't murder me or you'll never find out what happened. XD 

Review, please and thanks!


	7. Rescue

Gomen for the long wait, school is crazy. But I'm taking some time to post this just so you guys aren't left hanging for too long. Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 7 – Rescue

Close to hyperventilating, Loz forced himself to calm down and think. _There aren't that many buildings around here… if I was a kidnapper, which one would I enter?_

Harking back to the many detective shows he had seen on television, Loz glanced around the compound, feeling as though every second he wasted, the more danger his brother was in. The building had to be large enough to house a car… close to the lake, perhaps, in order to dispose of any evidence… Loz shuddered at this horrifying thought and desperately cast his gaze about once more. Suddenly his eyes fell on a large warehouse a few feet from the water's edge… the closed door facing him was large enough to fit a car through…

He had only one chance; if this was not the correct building, the kidnappers would hear the noise and Kadaj would be gone before he could reach him. Gunning the engine, Loz wrenched the bike around. Spying a makeshift ramp, probably left by some skateboarders, he guided the bike up at full speed and flew through the air to smash through an upper window.

WHUMPH!

The bike landed hard, wheels screeching their protest. Through slit lids Loz caught sight of two silver-haired men ahead of him, one towering over the other. The standing one pulled back in surprise, then lunged at the one on the floor.

With a roar that deafened all three of them, the bike leapt forward. The attacker dove out of the way. At the same time Loz felt a solid body thud into place behind him, fingers snatching for any grip whatsoever to help them stay on. 'Hang on, bro!' Loz shouted and jerked the bike in an awkward circle. However, he had forgotten that the way he came in was unavailable as an exit… and the attacker was rising to his feet.

Loz's eyes widened considerably as he got his first real view of the assailant. Silver hair much like their own trailed down his back over black leather; a fearsome blade was clutched in his hand. His face was still shadowed, yet his eyes gleamed in the weak moonlight now filtering through the broken windows, sending a shiver up Loz's spine. He seemed at a standstill, trying to decide whether to attack again or risk injury against Loz's vehicle, his entire stature rigid.

Fortunately, Loz didn't have to wait around for a decision to be made. At the far end the door began to open, drawn on a chain up toward the roof and startling the occupants of the building. As it rose, Loz saw the silhouette of none other than Yazoo on the other side.

'Drive, Loz!' a hoarse voice behind him whispered. The youngest brother quickly complied, not even bothering to swerve when Sephiroth stepped into their path.

Big mistake. With unanticipated reflexes, he reached out and yanked Kadaj right off the back of the bike. His brother's cry was the only thing that even alerted Loz to the fact that he'd been reclaimed. Screeching to a halt just past the door, Loz shouted, 'I lost him! Don't close it!'

Yazoo had seen it, and had had enough. With a snarl of rage he dashed forward and leapt onto the back of the attacker. Kicking and pummelling with all his might, he bellowed 'Run, Kadaj!'

Terrified out of his mind, the younger brother obeyed. Hauling himself to his feet, he bolted for the doorway, stumbling over an old pipe and falling into the strong arms of Loz. Tires squealed behind them; they turned, fearing another attack, but their fear was unfounded.

'Get in!' Kitty screamed, throwing the doors of the SUV open. Loz half-carried, half-pushed Kadaj over to the vehicle and thrust him in, Kitty's hands aiding him once they were in reach. A glance over his shoulder; Sephiroth had thrown Yazoo off, but his brother's training served him well and he landed on his feet. Abandoning his bike, Loz leapt in after Kadaj, twisting to hold out an arm. 'Come on, 'Zoo!'

The eldest all but flew toward the car, while the deadly blade advanced behind him. 'Drive!' Kitty shrieked. Loz caught Yazoo just as Kurry floored it and they spit gravel into the night as they sped away. Loz barely managed to get the door shut against the wind before collapsing into the tangle of people on the seats, all of them panting with fear and adrenaline

They drove back to the bar in silence; it took the entire trip to bring Kadaj's heart rate back to normal. He shook in his brothers' arms, clinging desperately to Yazoo as though afraid the silver-haired fiend would appear out of nowhere to drag him away. Yazoo could barely make sure he was not seriously injured; the boy was gripping him so tightly. Kitty kept glancing behind her from the front seat, the terror slowly seeping out of her eyes as she too calmed down. Once Kurry had pulled up and parked, they all just sat there in the vehicle for a good ten minutes before anyone said anything.

'…what the bloody _hell_ was that all about?'

Kitty's bewildered statement pretty much echoed what was going through everyone's minds. Yazoo inhaled deeply, re-establishing the mental control his training had taught him, and when he answered it was in a steady voice. 'I don't know. But it sure was serious, whatever the heck it was.'

Kadaj trembled, shutting his eyes tight against the memory and then opening them again quickly when this failed. 'S-Sephiroth…' he murmured, barely audibly.

'…what was that, ototousan?'

'He… h-he said his name was Sephiroth…'

'…'

Kurry sighed heavily. 'Well… perhaps you guys shouldn't stay alone tonight… have you got anyone in the city you can stay with?'

'No-one,' Loz answered. 'We've only been here three months.'

Kurry seemed to consider his answer carefully, before turning and fixing Kitty with a piercing gaze. The other woman didn't break the eye contact; it seemed silent messages were passing between them that the males could not hear. Finally both blinked, and turned as one to look into the back seat.

'You'll stay with us tonight then.'

Kitty's tone brooked no argument. Too tired to protest, the brothers nodded, and Kurry started up the SUV again without another word.

Half an hour later, the car pulled into the driveway of a large house on the west side of the lake. Kitty and Kurry hurried ahead to turn on lights and once everyone was inside they set the security system to full power. Kurry swiftly made them all tea, and by the end of his first cup Kadaj was asleep on the couch, breath softly shifting his bangs back and forth. Yazoo helped Kitty pull the hide-a-bed out before settling near Kadaj, brushing his bangs affectionately out of his face.

Loz watched them from the doorway, a slight half-smile on his face. Kurry came up behind him and gently touched his shoulder. 'I'm sorry we don't have more room right now. This place is brand new and we haven't finished the guest room yet,' she apologized quietly. Loz shrugged it off though, instead thanking her for their hospitality.

'Don't even worry about it,' the slim blonde replied, smiling warmly. 'As if we'd leave you alone after an incident like that. I'm just glad that Kadaj-san is alright.'

'Me too,' Loz sighed, relief flooding his voice. 'If anything had happened to him we'd both have gone insane… Yazoo worries about us enough as it is, he must have had three heart attacks in the past couple of hours…'

'Well, I know how he feels. If it had been Kitty, I'd have torn that guy apart,' Kurry said lightly. 'We both still have work tomorrow, by the way, so we're going to get some sleep. If you need anything, just ask; there's lots of food in the fridge, help yourselves if you need it, alright? Our home is yours.'

The youngest Shinrova smiled gratefully at her and thanked her again. Kurry nodded and bid him goodnight, opting to leave the other brothers alone to deal with the aftermath of the incident. She retreated into the bedroom with Kitty and soon the house was silent, but not everyone slept peacefully that night; one lone brother sat up until the wee hours, watching over his younger siblings as he always had, but this time with a note of suppressed urgency in his vigil.

* * *

Well, that was anticlimactic. XD More to come as soon as I find the time, folks! Review pleaseth! 


	8. Explanations

Aaaaaand here we are again! New writings! (I'm not hyper, no, not me. Lol)

I worked hard on this one. I even researched piano stuff so the pianists out there won't murder me! Isn't that awesome? XD I'm a musician myself, so I wanted to get it right. Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 8 – Explanations 

The three men awoke the next morning to the sounds of two people quietly arguing in the kitchen.

'…keep your voice down, you'll wake them… now, as I was saying…'

''Ry, we can't just leave them to deal with this on their own…'

'I _know_, but we can't leap into the situation without knowing what we're up against either…'

'…true… I think it's time we did some sleuthing…'

'…I like the way you think, m'dear…'

Kadaj rose silently from the couch and made his way across the living room. Both women fell silent as he appeared in the doorway, leaning casually on the frame. 'Well, good morning,' he said with a smile; the girls were pleased to see his colour had returned and there seemed to be no more after-effects of the shock.

'How are you feeling?' Kitty asked, flipping bacon at the stove.

'I'm alright. Couple bruises, nothing more. Thank you for helping my brothers last night,' the youth replied, cheeks flushing when he couldn't meet their eyes for his shame.

Kurry abandoned the toaster for a moment to slip over to Kadaj. 'Hey… stuff like that doesn't happen often and you can certainly never expect it. It's okay to be afraid. I was terrified myself. And don't even worry about thanking us for letting you stay here either,' she added when Kadaj opened his mouth again. 'Really, it's the least we can do. I'm just happy you weren't harmed.'

Kadaj sent Kurry a grateful look; he hadn't even needed to explain. _The woman is sure good at reading people…_

'Breakfast!' Kitty announced. Loz practically floated into the room, sniffing delicately. 'Wow, it smells delicious.' Behind him Yazoo chuckled and started helping Kurry get the plates out. Within minutes all five of them were seated on stools around the kitchen island, enjoying bacon, toast and hash browns with orange juice.

As the silence began to grow uncomfortable, Kitty cleared her throat and asked casually, 'So… any thoughts on what happened last night?'

Yazoo set down his fork and sighed. 'From what I saw, he was nobody we knew or had ever seen before. I can't understand what would prompt him to kidnap Kadaj.'

'He could have just been one of those sicko people who go around doing that for fun,' Kurry mused, taking another scoop of hash browns.

Kadaj shuddered a little. 'No… no, it definitely wasn't that.'

They all looked at him. 'Why, did he say anything to you?' Loz asked sharply.

'…yeah.'

The kitchen fell silent again as they waited for him to be ready to continue.

Kadaj exhaled slowly, fighting the wave of fear that came upon him as he remembered. 'It was very dark, so I couldn't see him well, but he spoke to me and his voice… gods, it was like something out of a horror film, all soft and sweet like he was just playing with me. He said he had a job to do and I was going to die as a result of it.' Yazoo inhaled sharply at that and Loz clenched his fists. '…Go on, niisan,' he added after a moment. 'Anything you can tell us might help us figure this out.'

'He didn't say much more than that… something about Hell, I can't really remember… but I knew from the moment I woke up that he intended to kill me. Don't ask me how, I just knew. It was in his aura.' The young man shivered and wrapped his arms around himself as though to ward off the memory. 'I honestly can't think of anything I've done to make someone want to kill me.'

Kitty bit her lip in consternation. 'Well, it might not have been something you did… I don't mean this to sound bad, but sometimes dangerous people go after family members instead of their actual target… did your father or mother know anyone who might have ticked him off?'

'Our mother is dead,' Kadaj said rather harshly.

'…oh. I'm so sorry,' Kitty replied after a moment, her soft voice easing the rush of pain that had washed over him.

'It's alright. That was a long time ago. But that's why it couldn't have been her or anyone else either. We're living alone – we were travelling before we came here three months ago.'

At Kitty's confused look, Kadaj rubbed the back of his head and sighed. 'Okay, maybe I just shouldn't go there.'

To his surprise, Yazoo spoke quietly. ''Daj… I think it might be a good idea to tell them a bit of our past. If this… assassin… truly wishes to kill you, then it may very well be a vendetta from some earlier event. And… I believe we can trust them.' The eldest spoke the word 'assassin' as though it were foreign, a brief look of disgust on his face. But Kadaj read faith in his eyes regarding the girls, and considering all that had happened so far he too felt they could be trusted.

Kitty and Kurry waited, patient and undemanding, for his reply. Kadaj finally nodded, took a deep breath and another sip of his orange juice and began to speak again.

'Cloud is the oldest brother in our family; we are related to him through our mother. She had Cloud, divorced and remarried six years later. Shortly after that she had Yazoo, then myself and Loz. There are seven years between Cloud and Yazoo, two between him and me, and two between myself and Loz. We didn't live very well before the war; Mother had a job, but she also had four kids to look after and our fathers weren't often around. We didn't starve or anything, thank goodness… but…' The women noticed Kadaj's aqua eyes glaze over a little as the memories came back to him. 'We lived decently, at least. Mother always made sure we had enough to eat and clothes to wear. And we had each other, which was the important thing.'

'The war started when Cloud was eighteen. We figured it wouldn't spread too far – it was a fight between a band of rebels and the government of Rocket Town. Cloud was all fired up, though; he had been training with a sensei in martial arts and weapons techniques and he wanted to help. So two years later when Rocket Town's mayor called for aid, Cloud was chosen as part of some kind of elite fighting group. I don't know much about it; all I know was that he left for almost six months. In the meantime Yazoo and I started helping Mother out with things around the house.'

'The war steadily got worse; Cloud's letters became less and less frequent. Finally we got news that something had gone terribly wrong and the elite force was coming back. I was eleven at the time. I remember Cloud coming home… his eyes frightened me then. They had gone very hollow and he didn't smile anymore. Mother was worried for him, but he wouldn't talk about what had happened.'

'Three months later they came for us; the terrorists that had been targeting Rocket Town's government discovered that they had called us for aid and decided to make an example of us. It was late at night in October; I remember going to bed and listening to Yazoo breathe for awhile before I fell asleep. The three of us all slept in the same room,' he gestured at Yazoo and Loz, 'while Mother and Cloud had their own rooms. I suppose it was beneficial that we did, otherwise we would never have gotten out in time.'

'It was midnight when the bombs started to fall. They began with the east side of town, that old monument that stood there for ages. I used to look at it when we went shopping in the square. The buildings around it all had the glass blown out and their security alarms started to sound. That's what alerted the rest of the city. Pretty soon people were running for shelter, but we hadn't thought the war would come this far and we were not as prepared as we should have been.'

'Mother came bolting into the room and hauled Loz out of bed first. Yazoo was a light sleeper even then and he woke up pretty quick. Cloud picked me up and we ran downstairs. I was half-asleep and I don't remember much until we hit the cold air. Mother led us down a bunch of alleyways toward the outskirts of the city, because they seemed to be focusing on the downtown area. It was incredibly noisy, like thunder in our ears and people were screaming too. Mother started to get tired, so Cloud picked Loz up and grabbed Yazoo and Mother took me.'

'We ran for what seemed like forever. Although it was dark we would get a bright flash every once in awhile from one of the bombs and that would totally disorient us, so it probably took twice as long as normal to get to the road out of town. Mother hollered at Cloud not to go on the actual road, but beside it in the brush. It had just rained recently though and Cloud nearly got stuck in the mud, so we threw caution to the winds and bolted down the middle of the road.'

'Cloud had an uncle on his father's side, and his house was a little ways out of town. You know him as Rufus Shinra, the original founder of ShinRa Corporations. To us he was Uncle Rufus, and since he kept in touch with Mother even after Cloud's father left we liked him a lot. We headed for his place that night as fast as we could, but we'd neglected to realise that the road we were on was an import road used by truckers for getting supplies and such into the city. Naturally, the enemy wanted our supplies cut off in revenge for the help we had sent to Rocket Town.'

'I remember Cloud had gotten way ahead with the other two. I couldn't even see him through the darkness. After a few minutes more it felt like Mother and I were the only two running through a world of confusion and noise.'

'I heard it ten seconds before it hit. Mother screamed and threw me in the ditch at the side of the road. I rolled down the embankment but managed to stop before I got to the mud at the bottom; I'd surely have sunk if I had landed in it. There was a wave of heat and fire somewhere above me and I was screaming without knowing it. I lay there until I heard the planes rumble off and then I scrambled up the side of the road again.'

Here Kadaj paused, and closed his eyes for a moment. Yazoo made a gesture toward him but the young man waved him off. 'I'm alright, 'Zoo… if I don't get this out now, I'll never be able to again. Just let me finish and I'll be fine.' He took another deep breath and continued.

'The field was littered with little fires and shrapnel. Mother was…' his breath hitched lightly, '…was lying on the ground a few feet from me. A bit of shrapnel had caught her. I ran over and knelt beside her… I think I was still screaming, I don't know. She looked up at me and smiled, still trying to reassure me even though she was dying. She said something but I couldn't hear it and by the time Cloud had gathered himself and come back looking for us she was gone.'

'Niisan had to drag me from the spot. He couldn't carry me and Mother, so he had to leave her. Yazoo and Loz were fine; they were standing a few feet beyond, huddled together and crying. Cloud managed to get us all to Uncle Rufus' house and inside, and then he went back for Mother's body. Uncle Rufus' house had a lot of trees around it and he had killed all his lights, so the place was thankfully spared. But that didn't matter to us; Mother was gone and she had been all we had besides each other.'

'We grew up pretty damn fast after that. Uncle Rufus took us in and we lived with him through the rest of the war and a few years past it. He and Cloud would go downtown a lot and then come back and have long talks in the study. They didn't know, but I used to listen at the grating because my room was right above the study. They used to talk about a lot of things, but the one I remembered most was music. They said they had a way to make music help people and I decided I wanted to do that too, for Mother; for other peoples' mothers. So I started writing songs and researching the industry in secret, because I wasn't sure if Cloud would approve and I didn't want to make him angry.'

'Now, before she died Mother often reminded us that if we ever had the chance to travel, we should take it without hesitation. So, as soon as Yazoo was old enough he started working, and we saved up enough to get started on our journey. We invited Cloud to come with us, but he wanted to stay behind and take care of Uncle Rufus, who died shortly before we left. That summer we paid our respects to our uncle, packed up what little belongings we had and left.'

'At first we took transit everywhere, trying to get as far away from Midgar as we could. We never made it to the other continent, but we came pretty close once or twice. Eventually we bought motorcycles and travelled that way. And man, we had a blast.' The young man grinned suddenly as he spoke, and his audience saw his eyes light up with a hidden spark. 'We worked odd jobs whenever we could get them and partied the rest of the time. It was great. Some of these places had the best beaches ever; we stayed up till all hours or slept all day and basically did what we wanted. I've never had so much fun.'

'After three years though, all of us started to feel like we'd had enough of wandering. Luckily Cloud has good timing and he called us to work in the bar. That's how we ended up back in Midgar. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, returning… but I don't like going near that field by Cloud's house. He inherited it along with the company when Uncle Rufus died. It's been three months since then. We haven't decided where we're going to stay yet… once Cloud gets back we'll probably be on the move again. Although, now that you've accepted my song we'll have to rethink that…' He trailed off at this realization, not having considered it before.

Throughout Kadaj's tale, the others had remained utterly silent. Yazoo sat stock-still, his bacon cold and forgotten on his plate, while Loz struggled to hide the emotion in his eyes. Kadaj, however, was dry-eyed and calm; the living memory too overwhelming for him to be able to express his feelings about it.

After a moment Kitty swallowed heavily and said, 'Listen… we've only known each other for a couple of days, but we'll do everything we can to help you figure this out. Okay?'

Kadaj seemed to come out of his stupor at her words. 'What? You mean we're still producing?'

Kitty nodded. 'Not only that, but we'll help you with this kidnapping business. We're not just going to abandon you; you're exactly the kind of person that ShinRa is meant to help. You come downtown with us today and we'll do some research and show you how we go about producing music to take your mind off this until it's easier to think about. You're still in too much shock to consider it rationally. So just relax for now; we'll handle everything.'

'Ah, but we don't want to get you into any trouble,' Yazoo protested half-heartedly. Kurry scoffed lightly, grinning. 'Please, dear, don't worry about that.' She slung an arm around Kitty's shoulders and smirked. 'We're the kind of girls who aren't afraid of trouble, especially if it involves our friends.' She began clearing the plates into the dishwasher as though nothing were out of the ordinary.

Grateful for their concern, the Shinrovas helped them clean up the kitchen and then waited patiently while the girls showered and dressed. Emerging half an hour later in slacks and blouses, Kitty and Kurry gathered their things for work and herded the boys out to Kurry's car.

They decided that the first order of business would be to determine whether Loz's motorbike was still intact. It took them ten minutes to find it when they arrived in the industrial district; the darkness last night had been rather disorienting. Kadaj stayed hunkered down in the car while Loz clambered out of the SUV, glancing around cautiously before approaching the bike. With Yazoo and Kurry standing guard, Loz checked the bike over as a mechanic would in a shop. Thankfully it had not been tampered with and he declared it fit to ride.

With Loz trailing behind, Kurry then drove back to Seventh Heaven to allow Yazoo and Kadaj to pick up their bikes. Kitty had been worried that they would be stolen, left out all night in that district, but Kadaj told the story of the time one of the male patrons had tried to mess with Loz and soon had the girls laughing uproariously. 'And furthermore,' he finished as they pulled up, 'it is incredibly hard to steal a hundred and eighty pound bike without the keys.'

The little convoy then progressed to the Shinrova household. Kadaj invited the girls inside to wait and offered them drinks, but they declined and kindly told him to take his time.

Kadaj gladly took their advice and nearly drowned himself in the shower. He leaned on the tile wall under the stream of water, palms flat, and just let it flow over him. The heat seeped into his muscles, soothing the aches from the previous night's ordeal and clearing his muddled mind. When he stepped out and towelled off fifteen minutes later, he felt quite refreshed. Dressing in a button-down shirt and jeans, Kadaj ran his fingers through still-damp hair and headed downstairs.

'Your turn, Loz,' he said, noting Yazoo was already in the shower down the hall. Loz nodded and let Kadaj take his place as host. The girls beamed at him from where they were sitting in the living room.

'Well, someone looks snazzy,' Kitty complimented, grinning when Kadaj blushed.

'I feel much better, thank you. Now, are you sure it's okay for us to come to ShinRa today?'

Kitty nodded firmly. 'Yes, and I don't want to hear another protest about it. I don't think it's safe for you guys to be alone right now, even if there are three of you. If you stay around people for awhile you may discourage the kidnapper from trying again, even if he was serious.'

Kadaj involuntarily shuddered, but then his expression turned anxious. 'Should we call the cops? I mean, what if he goes after someone else?'

Kitty sighed. 'Unfortunately, the police force in this city is so bad that they probably wouldn't be able to do much about it. There are way too many places for a kidnapper to hide and they are short-staffed as it is. I just hope he doesn't catch anyone else.'

Kurry was curled up in the big armchair by the window, rolling an orbish paperweight that she had found on the table between her palms. She huffed a little and frowned. 'What drives me crazy is that there is absolutely _no_ logical reason as to why he would kidnap you, unless he was just a loony doing it for kicks.'

'He did say he had a job to complete,' Kadaj said. 'I wonder what that means…'

'Guys, trust me and stop thinking about it for now. You'll only get frustrated until we get some concrete facts,' Kitty insisted.

Kurry sighed and set the orb back down. 'You're right, as usual.' She appeared lost in thought for a few seconds more, then snapped out of it and grinned cheerfully. 'I can't wait to show you guys the soundstages and recording rooms. The technology is so awesome. State-of-the-art, really.'

Kitty let out a snicker. 'You're such a nerd sometimes, 'Ry.'

Kurry stuck her tongue out at her best friend. 'This from you. Anyone even mentions gaming and you go crazy. But seriously,' she continued, 'I like it when we upgrade to new systems because it means the city will benefit and we're pulling ourselves back together. I dunno why, it just feels good, like we're making progress.'

Kitty's grin grew fond. 'That's Kurry, always wanting to be helpful.'

'Actually, I agree completely with what she's saying. Like I said before, that's entirely why I started writing music,' Kadaj piped up. 'It becomes a passion, something you do because you enjoy it and not because it pays well. That's really the only way to live happily, is to do something you love. Money only matters because it's fair to pay for the things you want. Equal trade and all that.'

Kitty blinked at this little speech, then a quirky smile crossed her face and she said, 'I know somebody who would agree with you on that. That's cool. You're alright, 'Daj. Can I call you 'Daj?'

Kadaj's cheeks flushed a little, but he nodded. 'Sure. My brothers call me that all the time.'

'Awesome.'

Just then Yazoo came down looking very much more composed. 'Well, I see we're all getting along wonderfully,' he said wryly, grinning at the flush in Kadaj's expression. 'Loz will be out momentarily, he's just spiking his hair.' He winked and the girls chuckled.

'It's always the hair, isn't it?'

* * *

Shortly after that, the five of them piled into Kurry's SUV at the promise of a ride home, and they made their way to the ShinRa building. With the windows rolled down and the sweet summer air breezing past the events of the previous night seemed nothing more than a bad dream to all of them. Kitty pulled out her cell phone halfway through the drive and made a call. When she hung up, Kadaj was gazing at her curiously. 

'I've just told Al to have a room set aside for us. He'll take care of everything, he knows what to do.'

'What does Al do, exactly?' Kadaj asked, still curious.

'Right now he's our general lobby manager, but he's also aspiring to be a publicist. He'll tell you all about it if you ask him,' Kitty replied and would say no more.

Alphonse met them in the lobby of ShinRa Corporations. 'Well, hello everyone!' he said, looking mildly surprised at the number of people accompanying the producers. Kurry quickly introduced Yazoo and Loz and they shook hands. Trusting that everything was alright, Al led them all to the eighth floor, which had been set aside entirely for their group.

'Mind if I stick around?' he asked on the way up. 'Marlene's covering the front desk and I haven't got much to do.'

Nobody objected and when Al unlocked the floor with his passkey and the doors opened, Kadaj, Yazoo and Loz gaped at the layout before them.

The hallway stretched from the elevators to the other side of the building. On either side were huge plate-glass windows that exposed the interior of the rooms on either side.

'This glass is three sheets thick and no sound can pass through it,' Al explained. 'If you'll just step through here…' They passed through double doors into the first partition, the recording room. 'This is where the receivers record the sounds you make over there.' He pointed through the window to where a stool and microphone were set up. 'We can get any instrument you want into there through the freight elevator on the other side.' Al paused suddenly, and turned to Kadaj. 'Are you going to be the one singing, or are you just the songwriter?'

'Um…' Kadaj blinked. 'I… hadn't really thought about it… I'm not a very good singer…'

Yazoo snorted. 'He's not a _bad _singer either, he just doesn't like to sing in front of people,' the eldest said, grinning when Kadaj went scarlet. 'Niisan! Don't tell them that!'

Al clapped his hands briskly and smiled. 'Oh good, then you can give us a demonstration right now. Everything's running and we're all set up for it.'

'_What?_ Gah!'

'Oh come now, Kadaj-san,' Kurry said, already seated in one of the chairs and pulling headphones on. 'If you're serious about this, you're going to have to get over your shyness pretty fast. Once the public hears your stuff they'll be clamouring for more and you'll have to give it to them if you want to keep producing. Don't worry, nobody in this room has ever laughed at a performer, and if they do, I'll flatten them. Get in there.'

Despite these reassurances, Kadaj suddenly felt more nervous than he ever had in his life. Loz and Yazoo pushed him gently into the other room with Al, who was positioning the microphone. 'Do you prefer to stand or use the stool?' he asked. Kadaj opted for the stool and was soon facing the large microphone and the small audience beyond. He took a deep breath, feeling rather quashed between the huge headphones on his ears, and waited for some sort of signal.

Al slipped back into the recording chamber and popped the disk containing _Midnight Sorrow's_ music on it into the system. Kurry fiddled with a few buttons and raised the volume. All five of them eagerly watched as the music began to filter in to Kadaj's headphones.

The young man tried to remember the cue he had set up as the music started. He was determined to do the song justice, at least enough to prove that he was serious about being a songwriter. Silently counting beats in his head, Kadaj took a deep breath and began to sing.

…_Until then it's her chain_

_Binding her to life_

_She'll search for the beat_

_Until the dawn of the 'morrow_

_The absence of the music_

_Is her midnight sorrow…_

By the time the music died away, all five of them were staring at him through the glass. Kadaj made a shrugging motion like _what_ at them. Al started gesturing like crazy for him to come back over, so he did so. 'Problem, guys?'

'That was excellent!' Al exclaimed enthusiastically. 'I… well… whatever we were expecting, it wasn't _that!_ Wow!'

Kurry pulled off the headphones she had been using and nodded. 'Top notch. You're better than you think you are.'

Yazoo and Loz were grinning in a very knowing manner. 'What did we tell you? He's a great singer, but we're the only ones who have ever heard him.' Loz ruffled Kadaj's hair playfully and added, 'He's self taught too, which makes it even more awesome, even if he _does_ go a fantastic shade of scarlet whenever anyone finds out.'

'Shaddup Loz,' Kadaj protested, ducking out of his younger brother's reach.

A seventh voice chuckled behind him. 'Well, that's nothing we haven't seen before. Congratulations, Kadaj, I think you'll make a very fine music artist.'

Kadaj glanced up to see Vincent step out of the doorway where he'd been hidden in the shadows. 'Er… how long were you there, sir?'

'Long enough. I quite enjoyed that. And none of this 'sir' business; call me Vincent. These are your brothers, I'm assuming?'

Kadaj nodded and introduced Yazoo and Loz to the ebony-haired executive. Vincent shook hands cordially and then bowed to them all. 'If you're ready, Marlene has lunch prepared in my office.'

The group trooped up to the fourteenth floor and were greeted by a smiling Marlene. 'Tea's on, or coffee if you want it, and there's lots of food so help yourself,' she told them. Vincent gently took her hand and guided her to his couch. 'You're eating with us. I insist. Sit.'

Kurry poured the tea and Vincent started passing plates around as though they were having a casual meal in someone's home. 'I can't get over the fact that this is a place of business,' Kadaj said after watching this for a few moments. 'I mean, it's so informal and comfortable, it hardly leaves the impression that it portrays on the outside.'

Al passed him a cup and plate. 'We like to keep it that way,' he explained. 'On the outside we look like a real competitor in the financial world; that's for the other businesses to see. But on the inside we keep it nice and cozy so that when people like you come in, you're not too intimidated to put out your best effort. We find people are much more eager to work when they're comfortable. And hey, why not? The music industry is not one of those industries that demands constant overwork. There are slack days and we use them to the fullest, but when it comes to the crunch, we're all in there working as hard as we can to make them a success. There's no point in coming to work in a place you don't enjoy; that's how you lose employees rather than gaining them. As for the artists themselves, which would you go to? The friendly company that is genuinely sincere about the comfort of their staff, or the company that only appears so on the outside and then really isn't once you're in?'

Kadaj had to admit he had a valid point. 'I just never knew things could be this good in a city like Midgar.'

'Oh, don't let the image fool you,' Kurry piped up. 'Things could still be better around here. But that's why Cloud and Rufus-sama set up the company to be this way; so that it would stay for as long as needed to rebuild the community. As long as this building is stable and in the hands of Strife, the city can draw on us for funds and hope and that is why we do what we do. Furthermore, though it may look like we keep ourselves in here and never really know how bad it is outside, that is never true. All of us have been to the charity drives and worked like hell helping people. Al has got talent in healing… he's seen more of the issues in this city than most. We give aid in any way possible, even if it's physically getting out there ourselves and easing some of the pain.' She sighed and took a sip of her tea. 'However, it's been twelve years since then and quite frankly, the city is doing very well. We've just got to focus on rebuilding now; the people are not the issue anymore.'

'What do you mean by that?' Yazoo asked, taking another bite of his sandwich.

'The people have begun to help themselves,' Vincent replied. 'We are no longer their main source of funds. Other businesses are getting back on their feet and beginning to do the same thing we do. The only thing left, really, is to put enough money into physically rebuilding the city; like all those mangled parking meters you see around town. Replacing things is the easiest thing to do; it was healing the peoples' souls that took the most work. We're still doing that in some places. But Cloud believed in the power of music and he had the right idea about it, I think. I can't tell you how many people have come up to us and said that they enjoy our radio shows and such. It's amazing to see the change that can be wrought when people have enough will to try.'

'To put it bluntly,' Kitty put in, 'Midgar is our home and we'll do anything to keep it from becoming a ghost town. Whatever those terrorists back then had in mind, we are not going to let them achieve it, now or in the future.'

'Hear, hear,' Al chuckled and they all raised their teacups.

The others nodded and the conversation took a turn from there to other aspects of the music world. Kadaj stayed quiet for the most part, sipping his tea and observing his new co-workers. Even when he was a little boy, he had always been curious about the kind of people that Cloud and his uncle knew, and now he was seeing firsthand that they were genuinely concerned for the welfare of the city. Their conviction was inspirational, to say the least. He remembered being motivated in the bar, watching the girls dance, and now he knew why that spark of idea had come to him. He decided he would work doubly hard for the chance to be considered one of them. Kadaj also could not help but wonder what Cloud would think of all this, once he found out. It was inevitable that the CEO _would_ find out, but the further from now, the better, and that was the way it had to be.

Al, who was sitting next to Kadaj, leaned over suddenly and snapped him out of his reverie in a quiet voice. 'Hey… penny for your thoughts?'

Kadaj shrugged and grinned. 'Nah, I was just musing. What about you?'

Al chuckled and lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. 'I was noticing that your brothers seem quite taken with our resident producers.' And indeed, when Kadaj had gotten over the abruptness of this remark and looked again, Yazoo and Loz were practically flirting with the two women. He muffled a snort into his teacup. 'Oh man… I didn't even notice. I've been too preoccupied.'

'I think it's cute,' Al replied. 'It'll be good for those two to get out a bit, even if it's only as friends. I've invited them out dozens of times, but it's next to impossible to drag Kurry away from her work and Kitty is always reluctant to leave her.'

'Same with my brothers. Yazoo is always worrying about other people, rather than himself, and Loz… well, I'm not too sure about Loz… he had a run-in with fangirls recently, which may have something to do with it…'

Al nearly choked on his tea at that statement and had to turn his head swiftly to hide his laughter. Kadaj shook silently, lips twitching like mad as he fought to keep from drawing attention to them. Fortunately the others were far too involved and they regained control of themselves as quickly as possible. When he could speak again without laughing, Al continued. 'I'll be pleased, though, if something manages to get them out of here once in awhile. Those two and I are good friends, I get concerned for them. Vincent should be setting an example, but he's just as bad sometimes. Thank heavens for Marlene; if she wasn't around I don't think the guy would ever stop working.'

Kadaj blinked. 'Those two are…?'

'Together, yes. I know it doesn't look like it, but they keep it extremely professional at work so the media stays off their case. Don't want to draw any untoward attention to themselves, you know.'

'I can understand that.' The silver-haired young man suddenly remembered his earlier question. 'Hey… they say you're a publicist of sorts. What's that like?'

Al took another sip of his drink before answering. 'I'm really not a full-fledged publicist yet. I've been temporary general manager for a month now; I only completed my training very recently. I _am_ very excited to get started, however, so now I'm just looking for new prospects and biding my time.'

'Found any yet?' Kadaj asked, reaching for another sandwich.

He missed the shrewd glance that Al sent his way; it was gone before he turned back. 'I have one in mind,' the bronze-haired man said with a slight smirk.

'That's good. Always gotta have prospects.'

'Yes, indeed.'

Within a short while Marlene excused herself, saying, 'I've got to get back downstairs or we'll have a message pileup on the phone. Call me if you need anything else.' Kadaj and Al hid grins at the way Vincent unknowingly gazed after her until she was gone, before coughing lightly and turning back to the group. 'Anyone for more pickles?'

There was another round of sandwiches and then a lull in the conversation as they ate. Pleasantly stuffed, Kadaj set his plate down and sighed. 'Thank you, that was delicious.'

Vincent beamed unabashedly. 'That's Marlene for you. Excellent chef.'

'Among other things,' Kurry said under her breath and was rewarded by the ebony-haired man's face going scarlet.

Kitty smirked and stood up. 'We should get back to the recording session,' she said. This prompted the others to rise and ask where to put their dishes. 'I'll take care of it,' Vincent replied, seeing them all to the door. 'You go have fun.'

'Let's stop off at my office for a moment, ne?' Kurry said as they headed toward the elevators. 'I've got to find my notepad so I can remember my suggestions as we go along.'

While the blonde was rifling through her desk, Kadaj studied the office in his usual questioning manner. 'What's that?' he asked, pointing at a gold item hanging on the wall above her desk.

Kurry spared a glance at it as she moved to her filing cabinet. 'Oh, that's a piece of antique Egyptian jewellery that I got in a market one time. I thought it looked cool so I hung it in here. Now _where_ did I put that damn notebook…?'

She was interrupted by a sudden commotion down the hall. Kitty stuck her head out, confused about the noise, and swore softly. 'Shit… 'Ry, we've got company…' She spun on her heel and dashed back toward Vincent's office.

'What, him? _Again?_' Kurry sighed irritably and followed, Al at her side.

Interested, the Shinrovas inched after them as well. Inside, Vincent was having a heated discussion with an unfamiliar man. Kadaj could not see him very well, so he slipped into the room and stood unobtrusively behind Al. He could hear the publicist grinding his teeth in frustration.

'For the final time, we refuse your offer,' Vincent was saying. 'I honestly don't know why you keep insisting on this.'

'All forces can be broken down eventually. You're certain you will not accept?'

Kadaj inhaled rather sharply at the voice. It had the same silken quality as Sephiroth's; sweetly conniving, yet with threatening, traitorous undertones. He snapped back to attention when the owner of the voice sighed.

'Very well. I shall try again later. But mark me, Mr. Valentine; this company's days are limited.'

'I'll keep that in mind,' Vincent ground out, clearly struggling to keep his anger in check.

'You do that. Farewell.'

The man turned and Kadaj got his first real look at his face. Framed by long dark hair, it could have been considered handsome if not for the sour expression creasing it. His eyes seemed to scour whatever happened to fall under his scarlet gaze, as though anything and everything were beneath him. He wore a suit of deep plum over a crisp white shirt, every inch the businessman externally, yet Kadaj felt a wave of loathing run through him. There was something evil about this man, something sinister.

The man in the plum-coloured suit brushed past Kitty and Kurry as though they were not even present, but paused as his eyes fell on Alphonse. 'Why, hello Elric. Fancy seeing you here. I thought you'd have run home to Amestris after we parted ways.'

Kadaj felt the publicist stiffen visibly even from where he was, and sensed a flicker of fear behind the infuriated façade. Stepping out from behind Al, Kadaj placed himself between them and fixed the man with an icy glare.

The reaction he recieved was anything but expected. The man blanched and paled noticeably before regaining his composure in a flash. He coughed lightly and extended a hand. 'I do not believe we've met. Pleiades Naraku.'

Kadaj reached out and gripped the proffered hand in a way that was nowhere near friendly. 'Kadaj Shinrova,' he said in a clipped tone, swiftly withdrawing once his hand had been shaken.

Naraku seemed to size him up briefly before reaching into his breast pocket. 'I run Youko-Ai Incorporated,' he stated, flipping a business card toward Kadaj. 'Give me a ring sometime, hmm?'

Kadaj deftly caught the card and flipped it back without even sparing a glance at it. 'That won't be necessary, thank you.'

An ugly scowl crossed Naraku's face for a split second before he tucked the card back into his pocket and swept out of the room. At the expression on Vincent's face, Loz discreetly trailed after the president, making sure he had entered the elevator before returning.

'He's gone.'

The words seemed to be a password for the release of tension. Marlene collapsed onto the couch, shaking badly. 'I… I'm sorry Vincent… I told him he couldn't come up here but he just ignored me completely…'

'It's alright, 'Lene,' Vincent sighed, letting the endearment slip out in light of the circumstances.

'That guy pisses me off to no end,' Kitty growled, pacing almost violently.

Al had gone rather pale and was leaning heavily on the wall. Concerned at the publicist's odd reaction, Kadaj touched his shoulder. 'Hey… you alright?'

The young man jumped at the light contact and glanced up at him, his eyes weary but startled rather than frightened. 'Yes, I'm fine, thank you,' he replied hurriedly

'Okay.' Deciding not to press the issue, Kadaj turned away but Al caught his arm.

'Oy… thanks. I've never… seen anyone stand up to Naraku the way you did.'

Kadaj grinned and clapped Al on the shoulder. 'Ahh, he's not so tough. Don't let him shake you up, ne? Then he wins.'

'What's the deal with him anyway?' Loz asked. 'I found his aura rather… distasteful.'

Vincent passed a hand over his eyes. 'Naraku has been trying to buy out ShinRa since before Cloud took over,' he explained, sinking into his executive chair. 'Cloud is adamant that we never sell, but Naraku just won't take no for an answer. We can't seem to keep him out of here either, which I can't stand. It gets everyone riled up. Gar…'

Al took his bottom lip between his teeth, nibbling nervously as a thought occurred to him. 'Kadaj-san...' he said suddenly, 'please do me a favour. If ever… I mean… should you ever consider taking Naraku up on his offer, don't. Just… don't. I wouldn't want you to go through that.'

Sensing he wouldn't get an answer even if he asked why, Kadaj simply nodded. 'Don't worry. I've made my choice and I'm not backing out now.' Al sent him a relieved glance and said no more.

'Well, let's get back at it,' Kitty sighed, calm once again.

'I still have to find my notebook,' Kurry remembered. 'You go ahead, I'll catch up.'

Kadaj trailed a little behind the group as they started for the elevators, a question still smouldering in his mind. Unable to help his inquisitive nature, he seized his chance when Al turned away from him and darted back to Kurry's office.

The blonde was tearing her office apart. Kadaj stood in the doorway, waiting patiently, until his gaze happened to fall on something wedged between the filing cases on Kurry's desk. Reaching over, he tugged it loose. It was a tattered blue notebook.

Lips twitching, Kadaj asked the question that had been bothering him. 'Why did Al get so shaken up by Naraku's presence? He seemed to take it worse than the rest of you.'

Kurry huffed and stood up, abandoning her notebook as lost. 'Ah, forget it…' She took one last hopeful glance around her office as she replied. 'Al used to work for Naraku, Kadaj-san. He never talks about it though, which makes me think that Naraku doesn't treat his employees entirely _legally_… oh, where did you find that?'

Kadaj held the notebook out almost absently. 'It was stuck there on the desk… is there any way to find out what happened without asking Al?'

Kurry sent him a sharp glance and replied edgily, 'Trust me, don't go there. Involving yourself with Naraku only leads to trouble. We worked damn hard to keep this place out of his clutches and we don't want that jeopardized.'

Seeing the look on Kadaj's face, she softened her words and added, 'Listen… we're not going to pressure you into anything, okay? You haven't signed a contract with us yet; you're entirely free to make your own decisions. But that man,' she indicated Naraku with a wave of her hand, '…that man is not safe, as an employer or otherwise.'

Kadaj nodded; that much he had figured out himself. But the fear he had felt in Al's aura had touched him and he growled under his breath. 'People who have power shouldn't be allowed to use it to make others fear them. I know what that feels like, being helpless to change anything.'

Kurry smiled almost fondly at him and said, 'I can see you have a lot of compassion. That's important in this industry; more important than many realise. Come on,' she added, motioning at the door and winking, 'Show us your stuff, ne?'

Kadaj spent the entire afternoon with his new colleagues and thoroughly enjoyed himself. His brothers, too, seemed happier than they had been in a long time, easing into this new setting with natural flair. By the time they left ShinRa late in the afternoon, the Shinrova brothers knew all the inner workings of the production process and held a promise from the directors that the contract would be drawn up soon. As eager as Kadaj was, he knew it was a long procedure and found this perfectly acceptable. Extremely pleased with the way things were going, they parted with friendly farewells and returned home.

* * *

The bar did not open that night. The boys locked the doors and settled in, each falling to minor activities that they had been neglecting recently. 

Kadaj retreated to his room and spent some time just sitting on his bed and looking at things. They seemed so insignificant after last night.

A few minutes later, the young man stood and sat at his desk. Reaching over to his bookshelf, Kadaj pulled a sheaf of papers out and began to rifle through them. These were his songs, the expressions of his life. Emotion and aura embedded in words, straight from his own soul. Kadaj first sorted them into two piles; those he knew needed a lot of work and those that could easily be used for his upcoming release. After this he read through each of the ones in the latter pile, edited a few minor details and stacked them as neatly as he could. He was thankful now that he had reprinted hard copies of all the ones he had liked; this made it much easier. He considered booting up his computer for a couple minutes, but decided against it. Leaning back in his seat, Kadaj tucked his hands behind his head and took a deep breath, finally prepared for the event that had been prolonged all day.

As soon as his eyes shut, the memories flooded him. Sephiroth standing over him in the darkened warehouse, exuding a terrible air of death… remembering his mother… the repugnance in Naraku's eyes…. With these images came the questions that swirled into being and settled like lead weights on his mind. Why had he been kidnapped? Why had Naraku looked so surprised upon meeting him? He was sure he had never seen the CEO before in his life. And why was Al so afraid of someone who was obviously not worth the time of day, if his actions were any indication? Kadaj speculated long and hard on the events of the past two days, but without answers, the questions became nothing more than a muddled mess. Deep down he knew that it was none of his business to ask Al about Naraku, and he simply could not understand why Sephiroth had targeted him. Perhaps it _was_ just a random act of lunacy; all that talk about having a 'job' to do could have been entirely the product of a psychotic mind. Kadaj sighed and opened his eyes. Somehow, the thought was none too reassuring.

He stood and stretched, his brain too befuddled to think anymore. Lazily making his way downstairs, Kadaj glanced into the living room and noted that the sun was setting. Perfect. He made his way over to the piano that sat in the corner of the room near the window. Seating himself, he tipped up the rich maple panelling covering the keys and tenderly drew his fingers over them. The ivory was smooth and soothing to touch, which was why this instrument was Kadaj's favourite. It pacified more than one sense at a time.

Exhaling slowly, Kadaj began to play the piano accompaniment to _Midnight Sorrow_. The notes surged forth, calm yet powerful at the same time. With the sunlight casting a golden glow over the room and the music pulsating in his ears, Kadaj let his eyes slide closed and lost himself for awhile, the stress leaving him in slow intervals until he felt completely relaxed. When he reached the end of the piece he played it a second time through, without written material of any kind, exactly the same as the first time. This was his gift; to be able to remember his music precisely as he had first imagined it. When the last note had died away, the youth sighed comfortably and closed the lid.

Soft applause reached his ears and Kadaj swung his legs over the piano stool to face Yazoo and Loz in their usual respective seats. 'That was lovely, brother,' Yazoo murmured, unwilling to speak loudly and break the peace that had settled over the room.

'Thanks.'

'You alright, 'Daj?' Loz asked, concern evident in the unusual quietness of his voice.

Kadaj leaned on his palms and stared down as his feet, considering. 'Yes,' he replied finally, grinning reassuringly at his younger brother.

'Do you want to talk about it?' Yazoo inquired lightly, wishing to be sure.

Kadaj shrugged. '…I really have nothing to say. Except…' and when he glanced up again his brothers read something in his eyes, something that was only for them. 'I'm really, really glad to be sitting here with you guys. Thanks for coming to get me.'

'Like we'd do anything else?'

Loz's light yet heartfelt statement lifted Kadaj's spirits more than any promise of a music contract could. He smiled serenely and was content.

'Let's watch a movie or something, ne?'

It was simple. It was something to do together, to reinforce the bond. So that is exactly what they did.

END OF CHAPTER!

* * *

Review, please and thanks! More reviews beget more chapters! 


	9. Battle on Sacred Ground

Chapter 9 – Battle on Sacred Ground

The next morning Kadaj bounced down the stairs before either of his brothers and began cooking his famous omelettes with the leftover eggs, humming cheerfully to himself. The sun was shining vibrantly outside, summer's saccharine air trickling through the window and teasing the youth's senses into wakefulness. By the time Loz wafted into the room on the smell of food, Kadaj had three places set and was ladling fruit juice from the mixing bowl into cups.

'Morning Loz!' Kadaj greeted the youngest as he fell into his chair.

'Morning… kami, that smells good, bro…'

Kadaj grinned. 'Good, that means I didn't mess it up. Is niisan alive yet?'

As if on cue, Yazoo walked in already fully dressed. 'Goodness, someone's been busy,' he teased, seeing the table set as though for a full meal. Dinner was usually eaten on the run or in front of the TV, so this was a rare occurrence in their household.

'So, is there a special occasion?' Yazoo joked, inwardly pleased at Kadaj's exuberance.

'Not really,' his younger brother said in a slightly secretive tone. 'I just feel like something important is going to happen today.'

As soon as the words left his lips, the doorbell rang. 'Who on earth…?' Yazoo wondered, rising to answer it. 'I'll come too,' Loz affirmed, a cautious glance passing between them. Kadaj knowingly hung back in the doorway, nervous but prepared to defend his brothers if the caller was of undesirable intentions.

Their fears were unfounded. As soon as Yazoo opened the door Kurry grinned. 'Thought I was a kidnapper, did you?'

Yazoo chuckled, relieved. 'Um, well… now that you mention it…'

Kurry winked and sauntered inside. 'I don't blame you. I've been known to be evil on occasion. Kitty's coming; she's just bringing your present.'

A moment later Kitty came in with a four-cup holder with three coffee cups in it. 'Present for you! Happy good morning!' she sang out, passing cups around. The brothers laughed.

'How much coffee did _you_ drink earlier?' Loz teased. He was getting caught up in the spirit of things and clinked his coffee cup with Kadaj's in a sort of toast. 'Happy good morning! I'll have to remember that one…'

Kurry's aura was radiant in the golden light streaming through the windows. 'I don't mean to be pesky, but what are you guys doing today, do you know?'

'I'm not sure,' Loz answered truthfully, taking another sip and glancing at his oldest brother for suggestions.

'We should go downtown and put more resumes out…' Yazoo mused.

Kadaj glanced up sharply from where he was making more omelettes for their guests. 'What? 'Zoo, you don't have to now, we're okay…'

Yazoo silenced him with a fond smile and a wave of his hand. ''Daj, I can't tell you how utterly thrilled I am that your song has been accepted, but I've got to get a job. I'll go crazy with boredom if I don't. I promise I will not take on anything too stressful, okay?' Kadaj nodded acquiescingly, reassured.

'Good. Then would you guys mind if we tag along?' Kurry asked. 'Vince gave us the day off, so we're free and have got nothing to do.'

'Sure,' Yazoo replied with a smile. 'I don't see a problem with that.'

Kitty leaned over Kadaj's shoulder. 'Oooh, omelette.'

'There's a lot for everybody. Help yourselves.'

The slightly crowded kitchen was quiet for a few minutes as they all enjoyed Kadaj's excellent breakfast.

'You girls chose a good day to drop by,' Yazoo commented when he had finished. ''Daj doesn't usually cook like this.'

'I have to be in the right mood,' Kadaj explained, stacking plates. ''Zoo is the awesome cook in the family.'

'Mmm, I like the sound of that,' Kurry quipped, making the aforementioned cook turn scarlet. Loz snorted into his coffee; it was extremely rare for the normally stoic Yazoo to blush.

They all insisted Kadaj sit and eat his own breakfast while they cleaned up, which he did wholeheartedly. Afterward they had to wait for Loz to get dressed and spike his hair again. Kitty ruffled it as soon as he came down and then bolted, prompting him to chase her good-naturedly all the way out to the car while both laughed like mad.

The trip downtown was uneventful. Once they had arrived and found parking, it was decided by mutual vote that the group would walk to the East Market and poke around the shops there. Accordingly they all set off, chatting gaily.

The East Marketplace was one of the first sections of town to be rebuilt after the war and construction crews had exceeded all expectations. The massive cobblestone square was framed on three sides by quaint storefronts selling everything from clothing to music to antique furniture. Street vendors set up keep under the huge stone monument that had been erected in honour of the war relief effort. The fourth side of the square sloped a little toward a residential area, leaving a large grassy knoll on which the neighbourhood children frolicked on pleasant days. Today was just such a day, and the five friends could hear the children's laughter echoing across the plaza.

The market was not exceptionally busy today. The boys fondly acceded to the girls' wishes to look at nearly everything and allowed themselves to be directed wherever the ladies wished since it was their day off. Finding interest in a few of the stores, Loz put out his resume which he had brought, along with Yazoo's, in his satchel. Yazoo, on the other hand, opted to wait until he had seen more of what the downtown area had to offer.

It was nearing lunchtime when they emerged from the music store, having just spent an hour and a half browsing the selection of titles. Kadaj was walking backwards again, listening as they tried to choose where to go for lunch, when he nearly ploughed into Marlene coming out of the drugstore.

'Oof… ack, sorry Marlene, I didn't see you there.' The youth grinned sheepishly. 'Serves me right for walking backwards… anyway, how are you?'

'We're excellent,' Marlene answered cheerfully as Vincent came out behind her. 'Just picking up a few necessities. We're about to go for lunch,' she added. 'Care to join us?'

Vincent smiled and slipped an arm around her waist. 'Now love, I'm sure these people must be getting sick of me. I gave them the day off for a reason, you know.'

'Actually, we were just discussing where to go for food and we still don't have a clue, so any suggestions would be appreciated,' Yazoo admitted.

'See Vince? Come on guys,' Marlene said. 'I know this great little place called Huttinger's. Best pizzas ever, trust me.'

The others found this agreeable and followed.

Huttinger's turned out to be a lovely little pizzeria styled after traditional Midgar fashion. Everyone felt very much at home right away. They were given a large corner booth near the window and menus; each perused theirs carefully before Loz pointed out that they could get two large pizzas for a decent price with drinks included. The decision made, talk turned to random things until their food came. As they ate, Loz noticed Kadaj getting his curiosity expression and said, 'What's up, bro?'

'I was just wondering if I could ask a question, Vincent-sama, since we're outside of work,' Kadaj said thoughtfully.

'Sure. Ask away, though I can't promise I'll answer. And cut out the honorific, seriously. Just Vincent is fine.'

Kadaj coughed, a little embarrassed, but he leaned forward and rested his chin in his palms. 'Okay then… how did you and Cloud end up being friends? And don't spare too many details; I'm very curious by nature.'

Vincent exhaled slowly and chuckled. 'Gee, that's… a bit of a loaded question…' He leaned back and took a sip of his soda before answering.

'Cloud and I were introduced to each other by our sensei in martial arts class when we were both seventeen. We ended up being sparring partners for the duration of our training and eventually we became what some would call friends, but I prefer 'a little more than acquaintances'. Soon after we finished our training the war broke out in Rocket Town. I wasn't too enthusiastic; I figured Midgar wouldn't have to be involved. But I knew Cloud was keeping track of events quite closely.'

'When Midgar received the call for aid, Cloud came to see me and said that he was going to sign up. I tried to discourage him, but he had already made up his mind. I'd never seen his eyes look that resolute before.'

'I did a lot of thinking that night and finally came to the conclusion that I couldn't let Cloud go off and get himself killed alone. So the next morning I packed up Cerberus and a few simple belongings and headed down to the recruitment centre.'

'That very day, Cloud and I were chosen as members of a group of elite soldiers led by someone from Rocket Town itself. His name was Zack and let me tell you, there hasn't been a warrior like him before or since. He saw a lot of potential in Cloud and they soon became best friends. The whole group was really tight-knit and we had a lot of fun training together. We did that for a month before we left for Rocket Town in May; less than a year later we were back.'

'Then you must know what happened,' Loz interjected.

Vincent's eyes clouded immediately at his words. 'Yes,' he said quietly. 'I know what happened. And it will be a cold day in hell before I ever repeat it. Cloud and I grew closer after we returned home; we were the only two from Midgar, and we could stay in touch better than with the rest of the group.'

He stopped talking then, the silence becoming slightly strained. Sensing it was safer to change the subject, Kadaj said, 'You mentioned something called Cerberus. What is that?'

An oddly satisfied smile crossed Vincent's face, pride now reflecting in his eyes. 'When our training had been completed, our sensei informed us we were expected to choose our weapons carefully and respect them forever. I took those words to heart, and when I found my fated weapon, it became clear why he said what he said.'

'And that was?' Loz asked, as intrigued as his brother.

'He said, 'The weapon that becomes your partner, accompanies you everywhere and never abandons you, will be the weapon that chooses you.' I never understood what that meant until I found Cerberus, but as soon as I touched her, I knew she had chosen me.' He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully at Kadaj, Loz and Yazoo. Gesturing at Yazoo, he added 'You may already have something like this, you may not. But you two,' and here he meant Kadaj and Loz, 'someday you two will find out what I'm talking about.'

He sent a wary glance around the restaurant to make sure no-one was watching, then inched closer to Kadaj.

'Meet Cerberus,' he murmured proudly, pulling the right flap of his suit jacket away from his body.

Kadaj's eyes widened. 'Wow…'

Yazoo glanced over in interest, Loz leaning over him to see. 'Damn… that's a gorgeous sidearm…'

'Triple-barrel, fifteen rounds total. I had her customized to my grip when I got her.' He let his jacket fall to conceal the gleaming black sidearm again. 'She's my pride and joy.'

Marlene laughed wryly. 'I'm sharing my man,' she joked. 'Cerberus never leaves his side.'

Vincent rested a contrite arm about Marlene's shoulders, grinning. 'My apologies… Cerberus is my _second_ pride and joy. This lovely lady right here is my first.' Marlene blushed and the others grinned at the tenderness in his tone.

Their meal finished, they split the tab evenly and returned to the street. 'We've got to get back to work,' Marlene told them. 'Thanks for coming; that was fun. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon, okay?' Bidding farewells, she and Vincent ambled off arm in arm.

Yazoo tapped Kadaj on the shoulder. 'We're going to take off too, okay bro? I want to look around downtown for prospects.'

'Awww… okay. See you later.'

'Eyes open, ne?' Yazoo ruffled Kadaj's hair affectionately and strode off with Loz in tow.

'I will!' Kadaj called, then turned back to the girls. 'Shall we stroll, ladies?'

They meandered across the plaza and entered the knoll, conversing casually about random things. The grassy hillock ended in a parking lot for a large cathedral and it was toward this that they walked, intending to visit the public gardens on the other side.

The three had just come abreast of the cathedral when their ears caught the strains of music issuing from the church.

'Someone's playing the organ,' Kadaj commented.

'I love organ music,' Kurry replied somewhat dreamily.

'It's a very sophisticated instrument. I can play it a little because I can play the piano, but what I'd really like to do is practise organ exclusively until I get be-…'

Kadaj trailed off abruptly.

'Pardon?' Kitty asked, pausing as well when Kadaj stopped short. 'What's wrong, 'Daj?'

'…that's _Midnight Sorrow._'

Kurry gaped. 'That's not possible!'

'You think I don't know my own music? Come on!' He sprinted off toward the church. The girls followed at a dead run.

The organ died away as Kadaj burst through the double doors. Glancing around wildly, he noted two particular things. The first was that there was an indoor garden surrounding the pulpit, something that he knew had some significance but couldn't recall at the moment. The second thing was that the church was deserted.

He jumped a mile when someone spoke at his elbow. 'This is a memorial sanctuary,' Kitty whispered. 'The flowers were planted to remember the fallen in the war.'

'Where's the organ player?' Kurry asked. 'We would have seen them leave, wouldn't we?'

'Correct. I haven't left.'

The oak doors slammed heavily behind them. All three whirled.

'…oh shit… not you…' Kadaj gasped weakly.

Sephiroth stood between them and the exit, his stance menacingly confidant. 'Hello dove.'

Kadaj was so shocked he couldn't speak for a moment or two; his body had gone entirely rigid and his mind seemed to freeze. Kitty and Kurry moved closer on either side, but he hardly noticed. Sephiroth appeared unperturbed by their reactions.

'Look. You didn't get to see too well in the dark last time, did you dove?' He held up the long silver blade, almost as though he expected Kadaj to come forward and inspect it. 'This is Masamune, the implement of your destruction. Beautiful, isn't she?'

'We've seen nicer,' Kitty retorted sharply.

'I'll pretend you didn't say that, wench,' Sephiroth replied icily.

Kitty's words had the effect of snapping Kadaj back to his senses. He had to get them out of here or they all risked being killed. 'Um…' he said abruptly, clearing his throat. 'Please state your purpose or let us leave. We've got to be moving along.'

Sephiroth chuckled unpleasantly and spread his arms wide. 'I'm here to kill you, of course. Did I not choose the perfect place for your death? These girls may even plant a flower for you over there once you're gone.' His eyes narrowed and something dangerous and utterly terrifying flickered in their depths. 'I must say, I did quite enjoy your little symphony last night. You didn't honestly think you had _escaped_ me, did you?'

The words struck terror into Kadaj's heart. _He was that close to the house!?_ Almost frantically, his eyes darted left and right, searching for a means of escape. They passed over a display case housing an ancient weapon of some sort, but the blade would be too old and fragile to defend them with. Sephiroth watched him with a bemused smirk on his face, clearly enjoying himself. 'Do not even attempt it, dove. There is no way out. You managed to prolong your inevitable death for a couple of days, but you were foolish to think you would avoid it entirely.'

Something in Kadaj ignited at this dismissive statement. There is a latent urge in all human beings that lies dormant until called upon in extreme circumstances. It is the desire to survive, the driving force that floods the body and mind with adrenaline and the will to live, and it was this force that Kadaj now summoned to his aid. Reflexively shifting to a fighting stance, he stepped in front the girls and fixed Sephiroth with a lethal gaze, much like he had done against Naraku on the previous day.

'What makes you think you'll be able to kill me?'

An expression of mild surprised raised Sephiroth's eyebrows. '…you didn't seriously just ask that question, did you?'

Kadaj shrugged. 'I just think that I deserve to know why I'm supposedly going to die.'

Sephiroth sighed almost uninterestedly. 'I told you, dove, I have a job to complete, that's all.'

'…so you _are_ an assassin.'

'Precisely. Well done, dove, you figured it out all on your own.' And the assassin applauded mockingly.

The girls had been silently watching this exchange with rapidly increasing incredulity. Unable to refrain from speaking any longer, Kurry burst out, 'So, you think that just because you walk around carrying that sword it gives you the right to take away another's life?!'

'Hush, 'Ry, you'll only antagonise him,' Kadaj murmured too late.

Sephiroth seemed to see the girls with new eyes. 'So, these are the famous executives of ShinRa,' he scoffed, looking them up and down as though they were scum. 'You have powerful friends, dove.'

'What do you want with me?' Kadaj hissed, no longer afraid but angry.

'Do you think they can protect you? Or that you can protect them?' Sephiroth asked ominously.

'Hey! Whatever your beef is, it's with me, not with them!'

'Don't flatter yourself, you're just bait,' the assassin answered. 'I have bigger plans to take care of and sadly, you are needed in order to catch my true prey. If you insist on dragging these two females into it, that is entirely up to you… but make no mistake, it will not be good for them if you do.' And with that he took three running steps forward and launched himself at Kadaj.

Kurry let out a shriek and threw herself on Kadaj and Kitty, knocking them to the floor. Not expecting the move, Sephiroth went tumbling over the pile of people but he was back on his feet in a flash. 'Stop resisting and it will all be over soon,' he insisted in a horrible crooning tone. 'I'll even let you girls shut your eyes when I take his life.'

'This is holy ground!' Kurry shouted, struggling to stand. 'How can you even think to kill someone in here?'

Sephiroth made a soft noise of defiance. 'I am not afraid of the gods, woman. They have no power here, and neither do you.'

Pushing himself to his feet, Kadaj backed away a few steps, keeping himself between the girls and Sephiroth. His feline eyes narrowed at the assassin, who simply smirked, the long silver blade slung casually over his shoulder.

'Kiisama,' Kadaj spat, glaring daggers at their opponent. 'Leave them out of it.' Sephiroth didn't bat an eye; he merely shrugged. 'It's you I want. If they get in the way, they will be removed.'

Kitty gripped Kadaj's shirt sleeve, attempting to get in front of him and being restrained at the same time. 'Oh no you don't! You can't have him! What has he ever done to you, you jackass?!' Sephiroth's expression turned ugly as the insult left Kitty's lips. 'You'll regret that, wench,' he hissed, lowering his blade back to a fighting stance and ignoring her question completely.

'Oh shit…'

While grappling with Kitty to keep her behind him, Kadaj caught sight of the display case out of the corner of his eye. A light clicked on in his mind and he hissed, 'Girls! Give me your purses! _Now!_'

Not even hesitating, Kitty and Kurry pressed them into his hands. 'Gomen ne,' he muttered, feeling a little bad that they were going to be destroyed. But it was better to sacrifice their cell phones than their lives.

In that instant, Sephiroth attacked.

Bending his knees, Kadaj hurled both purses with all his strength. Kurry's flew into Sephiroth's face and was promptly sliced in half. But that one second was all Kadaj needed. The glass shattered as Kitty's purse hit it and Kadaj flung himself at the display case. Behind him, Kurry shrieked again as Sephiroth came onward, his blade swinging in a wide arc towards their heads.

CLANG!!

The sound of metal clashing on metal reverberated throughout the monastery. A look of surprise crossed Sephiroth's face, as Kadaj threw him back with astonishing strength. The assassin stumbled a little and caught the ancient double-edged blade with his own as Kadaj now took the offensive. Both silver-haired males renewed their efforts and the sanctuary rang with the sound.

'Do you think you can beat me, little one?' Sephiroth intoned suddenly, blocking Kadaj's awkward thrust. The boy was nowhere near as skilled as he in sword mastery, though his spunk was to be admired. 'I've been killing for several years; I have no qualms about death.' He forced Kadaj back over the steps leading up to the pulpit and swung so hard that he sent Kadaj to his knees. Bending over him, Sephiroth lowered his tone and smirked again. 'Unfortunately, you are not that lucky. If you come quietly, I may be lenient. Challenge me again and I cannot guarantee the safety of your little girlfriends.'

Snarling, Kadaj threw himself to his feet and swung the sword downward with all his might. He heard Sephiroth hiss again and was surprised to see a piece of his shoulder covering on the ground. He barely managed to parry as Sephiroth attacked vigorously and pinned their blades together.

'Impudent bastard. You'll be dead before you can even think of trying to save them. Too bad for you this blade is old and easily broken.' As if to prove his point, the metal of Kadaj's weapon creaked in the hilt.

A trickle of sweat ran down Kadaj's brow and he appeared to be straining to remain upright. Sephiroth, sensing victory, pressed harder on the blade, hoping to shatter it right in Kadaj's face.

And then Kadaj grinned.

'Now, see, I KNEW you weren't that smart.'

'…what?' Sephiroth growled, suddenly finding it difficult to push against Kadaj.

'Too bad for _you_ this blade is a holy relic.'

'I told you, I'm not afraid of the gods.'

'No, but that silent alarm has been going for about ten minutes now. Any second and this place will be swarming with cops.'

Jade eyes widened and Sephiroth snarled in the realisation that he had been outwitted. Flinging both arms out, he caught Kadaj by surprise and threw him to the ground. The holy blade skittered away across the floor. Kadaj suddenly found the tip of the silver sword at his throat.

'Say goodbye, fool.'

'NO!'

BLAM!

Sephiroth winced as the bullet cut through his shoulder. Two more blasts and he was ducking and backing away from Kadaj. The girls hit the deck as further rounds ricocheted off the walls and buried themselves in the wood. Sephiroth glanced around wildly, before fixing Kadaj with a look fit to kill. Kadaj glared back, a silent challenge passing between them. Another hail of bullets caused Kadaj to duck and when the noise had died away and he again raised his head, Sephiroth was gone.

Kadaj immediately remembered the girls and hauled himself up from the floor. Kitty and Kurry were crouched behind one of the pews, both trembling violently, but unharmed. Kadaj sighed in relief, before remembering to glance around for the source of the bullets. He was incredibly shocked when Vincent stepped out from behind the grand statue, tucking Cerberus back into his belt. Marlene was huddled behind him, looking shaken. 'Are you alright?' she called. Kadaj nodded just as the sirens sounded in the distance.

'How… weren't you going back to work?' Kadaj asked as they came down the pulpit steps.

'We decided to take the scenic route,' Vincent replied. 'It was pure chance that Marlene caught a glimpse of you through that window there, but she got a bad feeling about it and insisted we follow. We didn't hear much.' He looked incredibly troubled about something, but he shook it off and said, 'We should get out of here before the cops come.'

Kadaj ran to replace the ancient sword in the broken case. _Thank you_, he thought, looking fondly upon the blade. By the time the police arrived, the towering cathedral was empty.

* * *

Sorry for the long time between updates, folks, but reviews help the updates come faster. Please and thanks. 


	10. Souba

Chapter 10 – Souba

* * *

The battle with Sephiroth in the church had Kadaj thinking heavily over the next few hours, once he was back at home. Obviously the assassin was intent on his purpose, otherwise he would have given up as soon as Kadaj proved he was not just going to lie down and submit.

Although Kadaj had no experience with that sort of mentality, he tried to imagine any reason at all why Sephiroth was targeting him specifically and could come up with nothing. He had never seen the assassin before; could think of no wrong he had done to him at any point, even accidentally. After trying to come up with any reason, even the most obscure or ridiculous, all Kadaj had was a headache. However, he did recognise that the problem was not going to go away unless he did something about it; he was sick of Sephiroth surprising him at every turn. He began to think in earnest of ways to avoid putting himself or his friends in the church situation again; if there was just some way to get a warning, some way to defend himself or the others if Sephiroth attacked out of nowhere…

Suddenly a glimmer of an idea flickered at the back of Kadaj's mind. Some way to defend himself… he was a relatively good fighter and was old enough now to own a proper weapon… but… would Yazoo go for it? The eldest had never condoned the use of weaponry, keeping a pistol in the house only for absolute emergencies. (Since it began its rebuilding, Midgar hadn't exactly been the safest place to live, as the police force was just as torn up as the rest of the city.) So it would be getting the idea through to Yazoo that would be the hard part. Still, Kadaj knew his brother trusted him, so he decided to broach the subject as soon as possible.

* * *

'I'm thinking of getting a blade,' Kadaj said casually over dinner that evening. 'If Sephiroth makes another appearance I want to be able to defend myself.' 

Loz raised his head, intrigued. 'Wow… like a dagger or a sword or something?'

'A sword.'

Yazoo sent a shrewd look at his younger brother. 'Are you certain?'

'Yes.'

'Then I will come with you. I've been meaning to get some sort of defence for the bar anyway. Not to actually harm people, but it helps a bluff… the cops are so bad in that district.'

Kadaj grinned. He was a little surprised at how readily Yazoo had agreed, but then again, he understood the severity of the situation. 'Thanks brother.'

Yazoo sighed. 'I wish we could have gone under different circumstances… this will be your first weapon, ototousan. But you're welcome.'

* * *

True to his word, Yazoo took Kadaj downtown the next morning. Loz had left early for the gym, so it was just the two of them, something that did not happen often. The day was quite clear and the air sweet as they walked through the shopping district. Kadaj had never been told where Cloud and Yazoo got their weapons from, so he was surprised when they came to an unmarked door in a squat, oddly shaped building next to the strip mall. 

'Yazoo, what…?'

His brother hushed him. 'This place is special… it has recently come under new management and the guy hasn't gotten his license yet. In the effort of keeping him in business, we have to be a bit careful,' he murmured, barely audible.

'Oh… okay…'

Glancing around, Yazoo opened the door and slipped inside, motioning his brother after him.

It was much darker indoors than out, and Kadaj had to take a minute to let his eyes adjust. Once they had, he noticed a spiral set of stairs leading straight up ahead of them. 'Come on,' Yazoo said normally and they mounted the stairs easily.

Kadaj couldn't stop himself from whistling under his breath as they entered the second floor. Glass cases stood along every wall and there was a very large one in the middle of the room. Weapons of all shapes and sizes, except military issue, were displayed glitteringly in these cases. Having read a lot of medieval fantasy novels as a child, Kadaj instantly moved toward the sword case, gazing up at the massive broadsword within. 'Kami… this place is awesome…'

'Thanks.'

Both brothers jumped. The owner had appeared from seemingly nowhere; a man in probably his late twenties, with reddish-gold hair and amber eyes behind sleek lenses. He was absently cleaning a small dagger. 'Feel free to browse, gentlemen, and tell me if you need anything, ne?'

'Okay, thanks.'

Kadaj moved silently along the cases on the right, examining each sword carefully. There were many more broadswords; rapiers and scimitars lined the walls, framing each massive blade. At the back there was a crate full of short daggers, as well as cleaning supplies and sheaths. Kadaj made sure to look all of them over before moving toward the center container.

This one was full of blades as well, but of a much more interesting variety. A pair of sais, rare weapons in these parts, glittered up at him, their sapphire-and-silver handles sparkling under the show lights. A wickedly curved kusurigama and chain, also rare, rested on the velvet on the left. Kadaj tilted his head at it, curious as to how it worked… it looked like a throwing weapon…

'Like it?'

Kadaj jumped a little; he hadn't even heard the shopkeeper come up behind him. 'You throw it and try to hook it into your opponent. A very deadly weapon; only the most skilled warriors used these.'

The silver-haired youth gulped a little. 'I see…' He shifted along the display case, eyeing the sais again, when suddenly his gaze fell on a slightly curved blade that seemed different from the others. Changing his angle, he ducked his head a little to look again and was pleasantly surprised to find it was a double blade, much like the one he had used in the church. But, while that one had been very old and creaky, this blade was gleaming with health, its black sheath buffed to perfection so that Kadaj could see his own reflection in it even through the glass. As he looked at it, a strange sensation overcame him. He felt drawn forward, as though the blade were calling him, urging him to choose it…

'…may I see this one, please?'

'…of course.' The owner's amber eyes studied him carefully for a moment before he whipped a set of keys from his pocket and swiftly unlocked the case. Picking up the sword, he sheathed it and handed it hilt-first to Kadaj, still watching him.

The moment he touched the hilt, Kadaj knew. This blade was to be his. It was almost as if it had chosen him, rather than the other way around. _So that's what Vincent was talking about…_ A broad smile crossed his face as he held it up, examining it as he had the others. 'Wow…'

'Souba.'

Kadaj blinked. 'Pardon?'

The vendor was now looking at him with a more friendly air. 'Its name is Souba,' he repeated.

Kadaj nodded. 'Ah… Souba, eh…? Nice name…'

Meanwhile, Yazoo had gone still over by the firearms case. 'Kadaj, come look at this…' he breathed.

'What?' Kadaj went and peered over his brother's shoulder. 'Oh, sweet.'

'That's Velvet Nightmare,' said the man. 'She's got gorgeous aim and light as a feather too. You like her?'

Yazoo nodded. 'Suitable price as well.' To Kadaj he added, 'We should get one for Loz.'

'If you like that style, I have another one here called Shadow,' the proprietor interjected again. 'Slightly different, but it's in the same price range.'

'Could I see them both please?'

After the owner had removed the guns from the case, he said, 'Tell you what. Give me a second to close up shop and you can come into the back room. Call me Neil, by the way.' The brothers glanced at each other in confusion, but nodded.

Fifteen seconds later, they were following Neil through a little hallway that opened onto a wider room with mats on the floor and mirrors on the walls. 'Hey, it's like a mini dojo!' Kadaj exclaimed gleefully, taking in his surroundings.

'Go ahead and try Souba out while I set up the firing range,' said Neil. Kadaj raised an eyebrow. 'We haven't even paid for it yet!'

Neil grinned. 'Did you think I'd expect you to buy without testing first? Go ahead, just be careful.'

Thus reassured, Kadaj shrugged out of his coat and rolled up his shirt sleeves. Picking up Souba, he tested its weight and grip before pulling it fully out of its sheath. The twin blades shone silver in the sunlight streaming through the window. The handle was wrapped with sky-coloured cloth; the elliptical hilt was of ebony and two tassels hung from the base. Kadaj admired it for a moment before tossing the sheath onto his jacket and walking into the center of the room.

'That's a very handsome blade. It suits you, brother,' Yazoo commented. Kadaj nodded absently, twirling it. He moved slowly into a fighting stance, Souba held freely yet firmly in his grip. Performing three quick successive upward sweeps, he twisted the sword over his head, turned a half-circle and brought it down in a sharp arc. The blade was light yet powerful and Kadaj could practically feel its energies travelling through him.

Neil came back over looking impressed. 'You sure know how to handle a blade, sir.'

'I've never actually touched one before in my life,' Kadaj replied sheepishly. _Except for in the church, _he added to himself.

Neil looked startled, then a slightly odd look came over his face.

'Heh… well, I'll be…'

'I beg your pardon?'

Neil glanced shrewdly at Kadaj before replying.

'Souba's been with me since I got my first shipment. People prefer the big broadsword-type blade; nobody would buy it because it's different, not what they're used to. You, however… Souba feels comfortable to you, doesn't it?'

Kadaj nodded. 'It feels almost natural.'

Neil sighed and smiled. 'Finally… Souba was meant for you. I'll ask half price in this case; Souba's been waiting for a long time.'

Both the brothers gawked at him.

'T-that's very generous, sir. Are you sure?' Yazoo stammered.

Neil nodded. 'Come on, I'll show you how to load Velvet and Shadow.'

Once Yazoo had had his 'lesson', Neil outfitted them both with the necessary accessories and rang the entire load up. The amount was far less than what they would have originally paid; Yazoo suspected that Neil had cut the price considerably more than normal. They thanked him profusely, but the owner waved it off, instead saying, 'Take care of him.'

For the life of him, Kadaj couldn't figure out whether Neil was talking to him or the sword.

As he and Yazoo headed back to their bikes, Kadaj suddenly felt a wave of power wash over him. _I'm ready for you now, Sephiroth,_ he thought, standing a little straighter and feeling Souba's comforting weight against his hip.

'Hey!'

The shout caused both Kadaj and Yazoo to turn as Alphonse Elric came running up to them. 'Hi!' he greeted them, slightly out of breath. 'How are you both?'

Kadaj grinned and reached to shake hands. 'We're alright. You?'

Al smiled jovially. 'I'm on my way to lunch, actually. Care to join me?'

Kadaj shared a glance with Yazoo and nodded. 'Sure, thanks.'

Al directed their attention to a small café across the street. Once they were comfortably ensconced in a booth, menus unfolded before them, Al glanced at the brothers and grinned. 'You know, this is going to sound weird but I just have to say it… I've never seen hair that silver before…'

The two exchanged amused glances with each other before Kadaj replied, 'Thank you, it's natural. How goes business?'

Al smiled apologetically. 'Gomen ne, but it's a company policy not to discuss business outside of work. But I _can_ tell you that I'm very excited about your new single, Kadaj-san.'

Kadaj blanched and then blushed a little. He still wasn't quite used to hearing those words in reference to his music. 'Um… thanks, I'm excited too… but why are you so keyed up? There isn't even a full CD yet.'

Al beamed at him; the guy seemingly never frowned. 'Oh, right, they haven't told you yet. I've put in a request to be your publicist. I was going to ask you at the next meeting. There's no rush to answer but I'm a rather impatient person when it comes to stuff like this,'' he finished sheepishly.

Yazoo muffled laughter at the blatantly shocked expression on Kadaj's face. 'Looks like you have a fan already, 'Daj,' he muttered teasingly, earning a flushed glare from his younger sibling.

Fortunately, Kadaj was saved from further embarrassment by the arrival of the waitress, who promptly took their orders. The three spent a pleasant hour getting to know one another before Al had to get back to work. Each threw in their share for the meal and were soon back out on the street.

'Well, thanks for that, guys. I usually end up eating alone unless my brother has the day off. I'll see you at the next meeting, Kadaj-san,' Al said after another round of handshaking. With a jovial wave he started off down the street.

'Friendly guy,' Yazoo commented thoughtfully. Kadaj chuckled and they headed off in the opposite direction.

They had barely gone twenty paces, however, before an odd tingling feeling began to creep up Kadaj's spine, raising the hairs at the nape of his neck. He shivered a little and glanced behind him, but the street was empty.

_…wait a minute…_

'Yazoo, something's wrong.'

The tone in his brother's voice caused the eldest to freeze instantly.

'What?'

'…the ShinRa building is a ways down this street… shouldn't we still be able to see Al?'

'…'

Without another word Kadaj bolted in the direction Al had gone, desperation giving him speed. _It can't be… _He could hear his brother's feet pounding behind him before a strangled cry attracted his attention. Backtracking a little, he plunged into the alleyway at the same time as Yazoo… and both stopped dead in their tracks.

Al was struggling to rise, blood streaming from a gash in his arm as Sephiroth advanced on him. 'Hello dove…' the assassin murmured, eyes glinting maniacally at the youth. Enraged, Kadaj reached over and yanked Velvet Nightmare from the holster on Yazoo's belt. Ignoring his brother's protests, he pointed it at Sephiroth. Unfortunately, he was a second too late. Masamune seemed to curve, wickedly sensual, against Al's throat as the assassin pressed it threateningly, but not enough to harm him… yet. Kadaj released a growl of frustration; they were at stalemate.

'Well, little dove… shall I kill him?' Sephiroth asked, his voice sickeningly sweet as Al's hazel eyes widened in horror. Kadaj snarled, his finger instinctively tightening. _No! He'll kill Alphonse! Don't… react…._

'Let him go,' he commanded, keeping his voice surprisingly steady.

'I don't know… he's rather delectable, isn't he? I can smell the fear coming off him… the same as those girls in the church… you have pretty friends, dove. But I'd watch yourself… I'll kill every last one of them if you go to the police. Release yourself to me and they will be spared.'

'…'

'Kadaj, don't…' Yazoo whispered behind him, almost without thinking. Anguish flickered in Kadaj's eyes, though, as they met Al's petrified ones.

_What choice do I have…?_

Alphonse made the choice for him.

With a shout he dropped flat out of Masamune's reach and twisted, his legs and torso rising, aiming a kick at Sephiroth's sword hand. He missed, but the assassin had jerked instinctively, not expecting retaliation from this prey, and that was all Al needed. With Masamune aside, he hauled himself to his feet and directed a kick to Sephiroth's solar plexus, connecting with a solid crunch. It was obvious that he had had some martial arts training from the way he used the rebound to dive to the side.

'Now!'

Kadaj snapped to his senses and fired repeatedly. Gasping, Sephiroth managed to deflect one bullet and dodge another, retreating towards a ladder behind him. The third bullet grazed his cheek when he whirled; in a flash of silver he was gone up the ladder and over the rooftops. The youth on the ground lowered his arm, listening carefully for any sign of return, before thrusting the weapon back at Yazoo and racing over to Al.

'My gods, Al, I'm sorry…'

'What was THAT all about?!' Al gasped, wincing at the pain in his arm as they carefully pulled him up. 'That bastard just came out of nowhere and heaved me in here… what the heck was he going on about?'

A little surprised at Al's reaction, Kadaj tore off his own coat and ripped a bit of his sleeve away. 'Did he get you anywhere else?'

The young man sighed. 'Nah, just my arm. No big deal.' At their expressions he chuckled weakly. 'Don't look so worried… my brother and I used to travel a lot. We've been in worse scrapes than this, trust me.'

Impressed by how resilient the blonde had turned out to be, Kadaj finished applying the makeshift bandage and said, 'Fair enough, but we're still taking you to the hospital, just to be sure.'

Al shook his head. 'No. They'll ask what happened and you heard what that crackpot said. If you're that worried, take me home. My brother's girlfriend is a trained nurse, I'll be fine.'

Finally the two relented in the effort of getting Al some medical help as soon as possible. Kadaj helped him back to the ShinRa building to get his car, while Yazoo followed on his motorbike. With Al directing, it took fifteen minutes to get him home, during which time he turned chalk white when the car jarred his arm and nearly gave Kadaj a heart attack. After a seemingly endless drive, they pulled into the driveway of a modest little duplex. Kadaj honked the horn once before leaping out to help Al up, nearly tripping over something in the grass in his haste. On closer inspection it turned out to be a wrench.

'Heh… I told Winry not to leave that out… sorry…' Al murmured faintly, collapsing into Kadaj's arms as a young woman, also blonde, came dashing down the steps.

'Al!' she gasped in horror at the sight of him. 'Ed! Come quick!'

A man Kadaj assumed to be Al's brother came running out, took one look at Al and said grimly, 'Let's get him inside.'

Once Al was comfortable and properly bandaged, the man turned to Kadaj and held out his hand guardedly. 'I'm Edward Elric, Al's older brother. Thank you for bringing him home. Care to explain what happened?'

The silver-haired males hurried to introduce themselves and gave a quick run-down of the events that had taken place. When they were finished, however, Edward looked no less perturbed. 'I see…'

A flicker of remorse passed through Kadaj; having a younger brother himself, he was sure he knew exactly how Ed must be feeling.

'Sir…' he piped up suddenly, 'I can't begin to express how sorry I am that Alphonse was dragged into this… I don't yet know myself why I'm being targeted, but if it makes you feel any better, I will not contact your family again until this thing is over. I don't want anyone else hurt.'

Ed looked halfway to agreeing, but Al sat up abruptly. 'Don't be foolish, Kadaj,' he admonished, wincing. 'I'm trying to be your publicist, remember?'

Winry gently pushed him back down. 'I dunno about that, but you're not doing ANY work until your arm is completely healed.'

'Yes Nurse,' Al sighed, rolling his eyes fondly and causing Ed to crack a grin.

The elder Elric sighed and turned back to Kadaj and Yazoo. 'You're a musician? Well, that explains a few things. The music industry isn't exactly safe, though it probably should be. Look… sorry for being rude… it was just my initial reaction. It's certainly not your fault if someone is after you for no apparent reason and I know my brother can handle himself. We're forewarned now… Al will be careful from now on and you two are welcome here anytime.' He extended his hand again sheepishly, running the other one through his long bangs. 'Thank you so much for going back for him… you're brothers, you must know how this feels…'

Kadaj and Yazoo shook hands warmly with Ed in turn, both a little surprised at how solid his hand felt beneath his glove, all three somewhat relieved. 'Think nothing of it. Let us know how he's doing, alright?'

'Will do. You be careful too, ne?'

Nodding, Yazoo turned to depart. Kadaj, however, slipped past Ed for a moment and leaned close to Al.

'Sorry for this, mate…' he apologised again, wincing at the sight of the already stained bandage.

Al scoffed, forcing a smile though he was still quite pale. 'Pfft… it's really not as bad as it looks. I'll be fine, thanks to you.'

'Alright…' Kadaj turned to go, but Al caught his wrist.

'Hey… don't go getting yourself killed, ne? I want to still have somebody to publicise when this is all over.' He winked cheekily, trying to ease some of the tension in his new friend.

It worked. Kadaj chuckled. 'Yeah, yeah… just get healed up. We'll be in touch.'

The brothers returned to Kadaj's bike and from there, home. Loz was waiting, having finished early at the gym and was both delighted with Shadow and agog to hear that they'd had another run-in with Sephiroth. He ranted for a good fifteen minutes, cursing the assassin, but Kadaj for the most part wasn't listening. He sat in the windowseat in the living room after supper, staring out late into the night, Souba clutched tightly in his grasp while the shadows mocked him with every flicker of their darkness.

* * *

I love this chapter so damn much. 

Review! PLEASE!


	11. Return of Cloud Strife

Chapter 11 – Return of Cloud Strife

* * *

The next morning Kadaj jerked awake at ten, flickers of a bad dream dogging his mind. Shaking them off, he rose, showered and dressed before making his way downstairs to find some food, still blinking sleepily despite the shower.

Yazoo was already up and cooking, as was customary in their household. The first one up usually made breakfast while the other two were left to do the cleaning afterward. Kadaj staggered over to the coffeepot and poured himself a mug before flopping in a kitchen chair and taking a slow sip. 'Aaaaahh… morning, 'Zoo.'

'Good morning. Did you sleep at all last night?'

'A little. Not very well though. You?'

'About the same. Do you think Al's alright?'

'I dunno… do you think we should call him?'

'Perhaps a little later… he might be sleeping…'

'…okay…'

Yazoo hid a fond smile at the concern on Kadaj's face and sat down across from him, passing over a plate of toast. But even toast could not distract Kadaj from his musing, and finally Yazoo had to reach over and snap his fingers in front of his brother's face.

'Hey, 'Daj! Your toast will get cold.'

Kadaj jumped a little and glanced down. 'Oh… right…' He absently began to pick at his toast and it was then that Yazoo realised something was truly wrong. Kadaj loved toast and usually demolished his plateful in less time than it took to make the toast.

'Alright, 'Daj, talk to me. What's the matter?'

Kadaj sighed heavily, dropping his food back onto his plate. 'Dammit, 'Zoo, I feel so helpless… especially yesterday… I mean, he was that close! I should have done something more… we should have walked back with Al… it's my fault he was injured…'

Yazoo snapped his fingers again to halt Kadaj's spiel. 'Okay, no. First of all, there is _no way_ you could have known Sephiroth was in the area and was watching us. Second, you noticed that Al was in trouble and went back for him. I didn't even realise anything was wrong until you pointed it out. You got him out of there and he escaped with his life, which from past encounters with this creep is lucky. It is _not _your fault. But,' he added when Kadaj looked about to protest, 'I have an idea that will enable you to feel more prepared when dealing with this mess we're in. It's something I've been meaning to get started on anyway, because Loz is at the age where it's time to begin. So I want to take the both of you to a dojo and start your training.'

Kadaj blinked in surprised. Yazoo was not one for making long speeches, yet his brother's words made sense. It took him a moment to register Yazoo's last sentence, but when he did a wide grin slowly appeared on his face. 'Are you serious?'

'Yes. I believe you're both ready, and what with circumstances being what they are, and the fact that both of you have new weapons, I really think it would be better to start your training as soon as possible.'

Although the brothers had sparred before, Kadaj knew that this time Yazoo meant real training; mentally and physically instructing ones body to fight on command. It was customary for young people to begin training of some kind as soon as they came of age, but the Shinrovas' travels had made this impossible. Cloud and Yazoo were the only ones in their family who had so far had any sort of combat training. This knowledge cheered Kadaj immensely and he leapt from his seat to ruffle his brother's hair. 'Thank you, niisan!'

'Ack! Off the hair!' Yazoo protested, but his younger brother was already running for the stairs.

Bursting into Loz's room, Kadaj pounced on their youngest sibling. 'Hey Loz! Wake up!'

Loz mumbled something incoherent and buried his head under the pillow, but Kadaj yanked it away. 'Listen! Get up, lazybones, we're going to start our training today! 'Zoo says it's time!'

Blinking bewilderedly, Loz squinted up at Kadaj. '…'Daj, you woke me up for tha-… wait, what did you say?'

'I said get up, bro, or we won't get any doughnuts on the way to the dojo!' Kadaj laughed, running off to change into suitable training attire.

Loz was ready and waiting downstairs before Kadaj even managed to buckle Souba onto his belt.

* * *

The doughnuts were fresh at the bakery on Auron Avenue. The boys would treat themselves whenever there was something truly awesome to celebrate, since they saved up their money and purchased sensibly the rest of the time. Loz ended up eating most of them, but the other two let him. The boy was a bottomless pit when it came to food.

Kadaj polished off his last doughnut and as he did so he happened to glance out the window beside him. The glint of a silver vehicle across the street caught his eye.

'Hey, isn't that Kurry's car?'

Curious, they finished their snack and crossed the road. The building they stood before was a market, and rather than wait by the car Kadaj led the way inside.

The interior was busy but not overly so. People were milling about buying ramen, sushi and bento box. It was easy to spot Kurry in the crowd; she was almost the only blonde in the place. Kitty was with her; both were looking at traditional tea sets. Yazoo slipped past Kadaj and snuck up silently on Kurry.

'Boo.'

The girls whirled around. 'Oh, hey guys!' Kitty squeaked, laughing a little oddly. 'Ha, be careful doing that. For a minute there you might have been Sephiroth. Funny running into you here. Whatcha doing?'

'We're on our way to Cid's Dojo,' Loz replied excitedly.

'I've heard of that place,' Kurry said. She held a bento box and chopsticks, which she used to emphasize her sentences by jabbing at the air. 'It's supposed to be the best dojo in town.'

Yazoo nodded. 'The guy who runs it flies airships in his spare time. It's cool. Anyway, what are you doing today, ladies?'

Kurry had just taken another bite of sushi. 'Mmf… well, this morning we were trying to figure out this whole thing with Sephiroth, but we pretty much got nowhere. I needed food in order to think and as they say, seafood is brain food, so we came down here.'

The brothers chuckled. 'Well, that makes sense. Got any plans for the rest of the day or do you want to hang out?' Kadaj asked.

Kurry and Kitty shared a glance and both nodded. 'Sure. Why not?'

Since there was no rush, they spent a few minutes perusing the market together, oohing and aahing over some of the products from across the sea. Yazoo pinched some bento from Kurry and ducked when she swung playfully at him with her chopsticks. Loz and Kitty found a pair of swords in an old shop and pretended to be samurai warriors until the shopkeeper glared at them. In the wake of the laughter and jokes, they all felt the mood lighten considerably and the strain of the past few days slowly disappeared. Finally the five made their way toward the dojo, following Yazoo who was the only one who knew its location. Saturday traffic was surprisingly light for a change, and they found parking spots with relative ease. Not the sort of people to tempt fate, all of them made sure their vehicles were well secured – against thief or assassin – and entered the dojo.

Cid's Dojo was aptly named, as Cid himself greeted them at the door. 'Heya people, whatcha in for?' he drawled, twirling a pen idly between his fingers. Yazoo hid a grin. 'A couple hours, I think.' He glanced around for affirmation from his companions and they all nodded. 'We'll let you know if we need more time. Is it very busy today?'

'Nah,' the pilot replied, thumbing over his shoulder. 'Room's been mostly empty all day. I dunno how this place stays in business, 'cept I get a few kids in now and then to settle a score. S'long as they got money, I really don't care.' He scribbled something in his ledger and counted. 'Five of ya… that'll be thirty. I'll give ya the discount on account of this is their first time.' Cid nodded his head at Kadaj and Loz, who blinked.

'How did you know?'

'I get all kinds in here, kiddo, and I can tell the newbies from the veterans any day. It's in their eyes. Like that blonde guy who comes in here sometimes. He's been through the mill, I can tell ya. Ain't seen him for three months though… maybe he gave it up. Anyway, thirty, if ya please, and then I'll let ya in.'

Since Cid seemed quite content to talk, the others said nothing and the girls insisted on pitching in for half the cost. Cid held the door open for them and they stepped quickly into the well-lit room beyond.

Inquisitive as always, Kadaj stopped to take in his new surroundings. The floor was almost entirely comprised of thick protective mats, encircled by a ring of bare tile that shoes were to be placed upon. This ring was lined with long benches that bags and bottoms could be rested on. Mirrors covered the far wall; a boxing bag hung in one corner and sunlight streamed through the plate-glass window that faced the street. Only one other occupant was in the room; a tall fellow in a hat who was packing up a massive broadsword. The facility was large, clean and perfectly ideal for what they had planned; in a few minutes they would have the place to themselves. The Shinrovas unloaded their coats and shoes onto a bench and began to warm up.

Although Kitty and Kurry had not been prepared for a training session, they made do by tying up as many loose ends of their clothing as they could and shucking their shoes as well. Kurry stretched a little and then walked over to Kadaj, only just noticing the long sheathed weapon at his hip. 'Oooh, what's that, 'Daj?'

Eager to show off his new piece, Kadaj straightened up and pulled the double blade free. 'This is Souba. I got it yesterday.'

Kurry gently took Souba and examined it at eye level, being careful of the tips and edges. 'Wow, 'Daj… this is one heck of an impressive bit of weaponry… where on earth did you find it?'

Before he could answer, however, her brow furrowed and she added, 'Wait, don't tell me. I already know. Don't mention it in case unwanted ears are listening.' Kadaj remained silent. Although the police force in the city was almost non-existent, one could never be too cautious. Kurry finished admiring Souba and handed it back. 'Well done. I'm looking forward to seeing how you fare with that.' She smiled at him and moved on to Yazoo, deftly challenging him to a spar when he was finished teaching his brothers. Kadaj chuckled and tuned them out, shifting unconsciously until his body had enough room to really move.

Looking down at Souba glittering in his hands, Kadaj again felt that wave of power that had rushed through him at the shop. Closing his eyes, he brought Souba up into a salute position, elbows relaxed and knees slightly bent. He took a moment to get a feel for the weapon, sensing its balance and weight as he had before. He heard Yazoo approach him from the left, not drawing too close, but close enough to be heard.

'Since you're ready, 'Daj, we'll start with you. This is a test run; I just want to see how you decide to handle this without much instruction at first. The main thing you need to learn here is to focus your mind. If you react in anger, you're actually more likely to be injured. If you're attacked, especially by Sephiroth, it is okay to feel emotion, but do not let it overwhelm you. Channel your feelings into your sword and make sure your enemies remember why it is a bad idea to mess with you. However,' and here Kadaj opened his eyes at the tone in his brother's voice, 'if I ever hear of you abusing your power, I will never let you touch a blade again. Do you hear me, ototousan?'

Kadaj nodded firmly, no trace of humour or mirth in him now. The others watched, half in awe, as the artist's entire aura transformed from curious and friendly to cold and hard as the steel in his hands. Yazoo backed to the edge of the floor and said, 'Okay, show us what you can do.'

Kadaj smirked.

The next second he was a blur of silver, Souba flashing in the light from the window. He moved so fast that they could barely keep up, twisting and thrusting and parrying unseen enemies. At one point Kadaj even went flat to the ground and sprung to his feet in a matter of seconds. As Kitty and Kurry watched, both of them felt a wave of delight mingled with relief run through them. He was going to be just fine.

A few seconds later Kadaj stopped. Chest heaving, he took deep, slow breaths to calm his adrenaline and then bowed to his audience. They burst into wildly enthusiastic applause.

'Damn, bro, that was remarkable!' Loz exclaimed, clapping Kadaj on the back. Chin in hand, Yazoo looked his brother up and down and said, 'Hmm… yes, that'll do nicely for your first time. We can work on the mental aspect without having to be in a dojo and of course you'll have to face a solid opponent soon, but I'd say you have the physical aspect down pat. Well done.' Kadaj beamed in the light of such praise from his siblings.

Loz was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet with excitement. 'Can I go now, 'Zoo, please?' Yazoo chuckled. 'Sure. Did you bring everything I told you?'

Loz produced Shadow and several small bullet-shaped pellets. Kitty wrinkled her brow at them. 'I'm not much of a gun person… are those real bullets?'

Yazoo shook his head, his own fingers working to load Velvet Nightmare. 'No. These are sand encased in a special type of plastic. I had some left over from my previous weapon. To fire them and hit something is rather like paintball; you end up with sand everywhere and a bit of a bruise or dent, but nothing more. Not knowing how busy it was going to be today, I thought this would be more prudent.' He stood up from the bench, showed Loz how to load Shadow and then went to talk to Cid about procuring some targets.

The pilot had just the thing and soon two identical targets were hanging from the ceiling near the end of the room opposite the windows. Yazoo explained to Loz and the onlookers how to hold the firearm in order to maintain balance and counteract backlash. Loz caught on quickly, and before the end of the lesson had put five dents in a neat circle near the center of the target.

Kadaj watched his younger brother for a bit before moving toward a corner of the empty room. He practised a few moves with Souba, moves he had watched Yazoo perform time and again when he was going through his form. The thought got him reminiscing a little as he 'fought'. He remembered how Yazoo would come home dead tired and collapse on the couch after work… how he would train extra hard on weekends to keep up with his sensei's lessons… how he, Kadaj, and Loz would clean and make sure dinner was started for when Cloud and Yazoo came home… so much had happened since then. So much had changed… all because of one night of fear, one night of loss… what they could have had, he didn't know, but he sometimes wished dearly that he could have known.

Kadaj was broken out of his reverie by Kurry's voice saying, 'I've just had a thought. Once Sephiroth sorts out whose weapon is whose, what's to stop him switching weapons himself in order to have the advantage? He could probably get a gun and face Kadaj just as easily as with that sword of his.'

This gave them all pause for thought. After a moment though, Yazoo shrugged and said, 'I'm not too worried about it. Kadaj has more than enough skill to face him already.'

'Well, yes, but I've heard it takes months to learn to fight properly, and I really don't think Sephiroth is going to wait that long,' Kurry mentioned, looking dubious.

Yazoo's lips quirked oddly at her words.

'You wouldn't think so to look at us, but we have a… gift, if you will.'

Kitty twitched an eyebrow at him. 'A gift?'

Yazoo smirked. 'Just watch.'

Spinning abruptly on his heel, Yazoo raised Velvet Nightmare… and pointed it straight at Kadaj.

'What the…? What are you doing?!' Kurry gasped and leapt forward to stop him, not noticing that Kadaj looked completely unperturbed, but Loz caught her tight. 'Watch!'

BLAM!

Faster than the eye could follow, Kadaj flicked his arm.

CLANG!

The pellet ricocheted off of Souba and fell harmlessly to the ground.

The two women gaped.

'But… but… how did he…?!' Kitty managed to get out.

Yazoo turned back to them, entirely unaffected by his own actions. 'We found at an early age that we three are gifted with incredibly fast reflexes. Cloud is as well, if you've ever seen him train. Kadaj won't have to worry about bullets… it's that Masamune blade I'm worried about.'

Kitty looked completely torn. 'But… but you just shot at your _brother…'_

Yazoo coughed somewhat sheepishly. 'I told you, these aren't real bullets. The most he'd get is a bruise and we've done worse to each other during informal sparring. Trust me, it's okay. We've done this before.'

Kadaj grinned from behind Yazoo and waved. 'Yeah, they hurt like _hell_ when they do get through, but that's never very often anymore!'

Loz let go of Kurry and reached for his own gun, but yelped and caught her again when her knees buckled. 'Please…' she murmured, '…don't ever scare me like that again…'

Guilt flickered over Yazoo's face. 'I'm sorry… I didn't mean to frighten you…'

Kadaj came dashing up behind him. 'Geez, you're white as a sheet… are you alright?' he asked, his voice laced with concern.

Kurry steadied herself against Loz, a bit of her colour returning. 'I just… hate the thought of anything happening to any of you…' she murmured, more to herself than them. She was so distracted that she completely missed the look of astonishment that crossed Kadaj's face at her words.

'Come here, hun… we'll sit down and let them finish training…' Kitty said kindly, though she looked somewhat disturbed as well.

Kurry shook her head. 'I'm sorry… I'll be alright. Please, continue.' She stood up straight and withdrew with Kitty to the bench, leaving a startled Kadaj, an ashamed Yazoo and a confused Loz.

'What just happened?'

'I'm… not sure…' Kadaj replied absently, still watching Kurry. '…but let's get on with it, shall we?'

Just then a familiar voice called to them from across the room. 'Hey, Shinrovas!'

Whirling, Kadaj gaped as Alphonse came up to them, grinning broadly as always and looking healthier than ever. 'What the…? Al, what are you doing here!? You're supposed to be resting!'

The bronze-haired young man gestured at his previously wounded arm. Kadaj could still see the faint outline of a bandage against his shirt and a ripple of guilt rolled through him. 'Nonsense, I'm fine. I told you it wasn't as bad as it looked. I slept great last night and this morning the wound was barely visible. Winry just insisted on wrapping it anyway.' He rolled his eyes fondly. 'Anyway, what are _you_ doing here?'

'We're here to train. We don't want a repeat of yesterday,' Kadaj answered. Al beamed. 'Excellent! We should train together; we can give each other hints. Come on, my brother is over there.'

Yazoo called to the women on the bench and they all walked over to an empty corner of the dojo. Ed was there, crouched over a duffel bag. He stood as they came up and waved. 'Hey people. What's going on?'

'Not much. It's good to see you again, Edward-sama,' Kadaj replied.

'Hey Edo!' Kitty pounced the older Elric and hugged him. It was obvious the two were close friends. 'How's it going?'

Ed smiled fondly at her. 'I'm fine, except for the minor heart attack I got yesterday. You?'

'…what minor heart attack?'

Al stepped in and quickly explained. Kitty and Kurry gaped at him.

'…well, shit.'

'Yeah.'

Ed sighed and began to pull off the shirt he was wearing over his training clothes. 'I really didn't know what to do except go over our techniques one more time. I just wish I'd thought to do it earlier.' He turned back to the group.

Kadaj and his brothers went still.

Ed's eyes smiled sadly and he chuckled. 'Yeah… Al said he told you we'd been through worse…'

Kadaj tore his gaze away, remembering just in time that it was rude to stare. '…I'm sorry.'

Ed shrugged and stretched, his metallic limbs glinting in the light. 'It's alright. It happened a long time ago. Lost my right arm and left leg to it, but I'm still intact right here.' He tapped his chest and smirked wistfully.

'Can we train with them, niisan?' Al asked softly to change the subject.

'Sure. That's a great idea, actually. Chuck your stuff over there and we'll pick partners.'

It ended up being uneven, so the pairs turned out as follows; Yazoo and Kurry, Loz and Kitty and Al and Ed. Al promised to spar Kadaj once they were done and then the partners began to trade off.

Loz and Kitty were up first. Kadaj was surprised at the dexterity with which Kitty fought his brother, employing techniques to counteract their differences in size and weight. Loz actually looked hard pressed to keep up with her. For someone with such a slight frame, Kitty put up an impressively strong frontal assault. Loz finally admitted he had misjudged her ability and conceded. Kurry high-fived a smirking Kitty as she and Yazoo traded them for the floor.

Yazoo and Kurry had much the same style when it came to fighting. Although Yazoo was a few inches taller than Kurry, they were evenly matched and concise in their movements. Kadaj had always admired his eldest brother's fighting style; it was smooth and flawless, and looked effortless to those observing. The silver-haired male would block, deflect and dodge with natural grace before striking quickly in the weakest spot. It was a tactic that infuriated those who fought him, because he would make them believe they were gaining the upper hand and then flatten them without warning. Kurry did relatively well against him and he against her; they called it a draw when they ended up pinning each other to the floor. Loz chuckled at the rather flushed look on Yazoo's face as he came back to the edge of the ring. Kadaj simply grinned at his eldest brother and then turned his attention to the next set of duellists.

The Elric brothers stood opposite each other and each stretched briefly before shifting into their fighting stances. The air around them was charged with electricity, yet there was an undercurrent of relaxation, as though this were simply a routine that they were enacting yet another time. Kadaj watched Alphonse in particular; he was curious to see how well Al fought when not under the pressure he had been in the alleyway. The tension rose as the brothers stared each other down, almost as though they were already deciding who was to be the victor.

It happened faster than anyone could blink. Alphonse leapt toward Edward and kicked out, was blocked and jumped back. Both men moved with such agility that it seemed as though they were weightless. Kadaj found himself gaping a few minutes in and quickly closed his mouth, but those around him were just as shocked. Alphonse fought with the fluid elegance of a panther, while Ed was faster and fiercer than a tiger. When they broke off, both panting lightly and barely sweating, all five of the observers were staring at them in awe. Such incredible fighters as these had not been seen since the war.

'…wholey… that was amazing!' Kadaj burst out when it was apparent that they were finished. 'Where did you learn to fight like _that_?!'

Ed chuckled and scooped up his water bottle, tossing Al's to him. 'We had a good teacher,' he informed them between sips. 'She taught us everything she knew, and she was unbeatable.'

Al leaned against the un-mirrored wall and closed his eyes, breathing deeply to instil calm. Kadaj got up and went over to him. 'Hey… is your arm alright?'

The publicist cracked an eye at him and grinned. 'Yeah… just a little sore… I'll take some Advil once my heart rate goes back down. What did you think of the spar?'

'…in my honest opinion? Freakin' phenomenal.'

A chuckle. 'Yeah… people are usually surprised to see me fight like that. Ed too, considering his limbs. Everybody thinks we'd be easy marks, but then again, they don't know the Elric brothers.'

Kadaj laughed and leaned against the wall next to him. 'Well, I'm glad to know the Elric brothers,' he said sincerely. 'Can you teach me to fight like that? I'll figure out some way to pay you back, I promise. I just need some sort of better defence against Sephiroth right now.'

Now it was Al's turn to laugh. 'Well, I don't know if I'd be able to replicate the training our sensei gave us, but I'll be glad to help in any way I can. Guys like Sephiroth shouldn't be allowed to just do as they please.' Hazel eyes darkened abruptly into anger and he frowned. 'I can't believe he'd just come after you like that… what did you ever do to him?'

Kadaj shrugged. 'Nothing that I know of. I'm especially ticked off because he keeps coming after my family and friends when I don't even know why he started coming after me in the first place. It bugs me to be so unprepared.'

A half-smile crossed Al's face and he lightly punched Kadaj's arm in a friendly manner. 'Well, we'll get you trained up. He won't know what hit him.'

Ed chose that moment to call to them. 'Oy! Are you two going to spar or what?'

'Coming, niisan.'

Between Al's tactics and Kadaj's reflexes they found that they too were evenly matched. Kadaj had never had as much fun sparring as he did that day; Al was dynamic in both movement and banter. At one point he said something that had Kadaj rolling with laughter on the mats. 'I'll be in trouble if any of my opponents end up having your sense of humour,' he told Al once he'd caught his breath. The bronze-haired Elric grinned; he and his brother had nearly identical smiles. 'I wish I was your only opponent,' Al replied, in a suddenly serious tone of voice. Kadaj sobered somewhat at this, but then he smiled earnestly. 'Eh, if I can learn even half of what you know, I think I'll be pretty well off. Shall we start again?'

Al nodded and they resumed sparring. The only damper on the afternoon was the twinge of regret Kadaj felt every time he caught sight of the bandage through the blur of Al's attacks.

* * *

The next couple of days seemed to be a reprieve from Sephiroth's menace, and it was a welcome one. Kadaj and his friends tried to keep things as normal as possible, but there was a definite undercurrent of vigilance about it. Everyone refused to let anyone travel alone anymore; Alphonse held a couple of training sessions for Kadaj and the two quickly became fast friends. Kurry and Kitty also set up meetings and carried them out as though nothing out of the ordinary was going on, in order to minimize outside involvement as much as possible. Things were going relatively smoothly, at least on the surface.

By the third day, however, Alphonse noticed that Kadaj was slightly listless during training and wasn't responding as quickly as usual. He credited it to stress at first, but when he succeeded in tripping Kadaj and pinning him with a very basic move, Al finally pulled back and asked him what was wrong.

'Bad sleep,' Kadaj replied and shrugged it off. Al could get no more information out of him after that.

The truth was Kadaj had been having wicked nightmares. On more than one occasion he had woken with a start and barely managed to keep from screaming. They were wearing him down and the worst part was he couldn't remember any of them except for the distinct feeling of paranoia that struck him every time he awoke. Not knowing where the assassin was seemed to be taking a worse toll on his strength than actually fighting him head on. After awhile he couldn't even write. To add to his worries, he became even more exhausted from trying to hide the effects of the nightmares. Unable to keep up with Al's training because of his fatigue and rapidly losing faith in himself, Kadaj's will slowly began to disintegrate until he almost believed that he could not escape from the fate that he knew waited for him somewhere in the streets of Midgar.

* * *

Sephiroth sat sullenly staring at the crumbling wall before him. His fingers gently caressed his cheek, tracing the wound where the brat's bullet had grazed. It was going to leave a scar. The only movement he made was the slow shift of his fingers, yet within his mind seethed and roiled, like a storm front building on the horizon.

Abruptly he stood and walked toward the window. Jade eyes fiercely scrutinized the street below, as though his quarry would come into sight if he willed it hard enough. Nothing moved outside except the half-dead tree across the street, browned leaves fluttering in the summer breeze.

Whirling, Sephiroth paced the length of the floor. Twenty-two paces in either direction. The dilapidated apartment had been ideal for concealing himself, but he felt constrained in its tiny space. He longed to hunt down his prey and finish it, but like a cat that had been outwitted by a rat he was puzzled and needed to think. His prey had never stood against him the way the dove did. Usually it was over much more quickly than this, and Sephiroth knew he was running out of time. He received daily phone calls now from his employer, demanding that he move his ass on the job. The man had been infuriated to find out that the boy still lived after he had been promised rapid results. But Sephiroth knew this was not a case that could be rushed. Something about this one was different… something in those aqua eyes was familiar…

And then it came to him.

The spirit of fire that resided in the dove was the same spirit that he had seen long ago at Rocket Town, in a pair of crystal blue eyes that had heralded his first defeat.

Sephiroth halted his pacing in the middle of the floor. A malicious smile slowly grew on his face, lighting his eyes with cruelty. _I know how to handle you now, dove…_

One thing was for certain; that spirit of fire would be broken into a thousand pieces by the time he was finished. He would see those crystal eyes weep if it was the last thing he did.

With a swish of his long leather coat, Sephiroth left the room.

* * *

_Kadaj…_

_The voice was female, familiar, something from bygone days. He tried to call out but his voice would not respond to his commands. Sounds and images swirled together in one chaotic mosaic… a silken voice whispering things that he couldn't quite make out… hazel eyes glazed over in a pool of blood… dark hands clutching at him, pulling him down, binding him with rusted chains… the echo of a woman screaming his name in terror…_

Kadaj snapped awake with a horrified cry, bolting upright in bed. Nearly delirious, he whipped his gaze around his room wildly, searching for the source of that horribly mellifluous voice. After a moment's pause he realised it had only been another nightmare, and sank back onto his pillows in relief.

He was a little surprised to find he was drenched in sweat. Throwing off his covers, Kadaj got out of bed and slipped over to his desk, relishing the cool breeze seeping through the window. He sat there for time indeterminate, musing over his nightmare, the first that he could remember, and thinking about the future. If only… if only Sephiroth hadn't come into the picture… his new friends would be safe and his brothers would have had their chance at a life free of worries… but now he was putting them all in danger just by staying with them; the incident in the alleyway had proven that. _Sephiroth is never going to give up until he's killed me… he's never going to confess why I'm his target… I'll never forgive myself if something happens to the girls… or Al… or any of them…_

Dawn was breaking over the eastern horizon when Kadaj made his decision. _I can't stay here anymore… I've got to draw him away. I've got to take responsibility for this… there is only so much the others can do. If it's really me he wants, he'll follow. _Thus certain, he set about quietly packing up a few things and getting dressed. He finished quickly and glanced one last time around his room. As he did this, his gaze landed on the notepad on his desk. Taking his bottom lip between his teeth, Kadaj shot a look out his door to sense if his brothers were awakening yet. He then sat down and wrote out a quick note to them. His plan complete, he folded it silently and slipped out.

Halfway down the hall, Kadaj paused and peeked into Yazoo's room. The eldest was sprawled comfortably on his couch-bed, having not even bothered to pull it out. He looked serene in his sleep, which was quite different from the worry that usually creased his forehead. Kadaj pulled back swiftly before his brother could sense his aura, and went to look at Loz. The youngest Shinrova was snoring loudly and wouldn't have heard Kadaj anyway. _I'm going to miss you… we've been through everything together, brothers… take care of each other…_

He left the note on the kitchen table and headed out to his bike. He'd have to be fast; Yazoo was a light sleeper at the best of times and would hear the vehicle. Steeling himself, Kadaj mounted his motorbike and drove away without looking back. He didn't know where he was bound, but as long as it kept his family and friends safe, he would never stop.

* * *

Yazoo wasn't sure what pulled him from his slumber; whatever it was, it had vanished before he could be positive. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he rose and pulled on a t-shirt before heading downstairs. For some reason the house seemed eerily silent this morning; perhaps they'd cut the power for maintenance. Yazoo sincerely hoped this wasn't the case; the last time the electricians did that without warning, they ended up with melted ice cream all over the freezer.

It was purely chance that he glanced at the table as he entered the kitchen; purely chance that he noticed the piece of paper resting on it. _That wasn't there last night…_ he thought absently as he picked it up. Shrugging, he unfolded it and read it.

Aqua eyes widened at the contents of the message. _No…_

Clutching the paper, Yazoo bolted for the front door. Throwing it open he leapt barefoot onto the lawn, his heart sinking as soon as he saw Kadaj's bike missing. _No… please, no…_

But the gods didn't answer his prayer.

'Kadaj!' he shouted down the street, as though his brother could hear him. No-one answered except the breeze as it whistled down the silent street.

'Dammit!' Yazoo kicked the grass furiously before darting back into the house.

* * *

'He's WHAT?!' Kitty gasped into the phone three hours later.

'He's left the house, taken his bike and his clothes and everything. We tried looking for him and can't find him anywhere.' Yazoo's voice was heavy with anxiety. 'His note said that he couldn't put us in danger anymore and he's going to lead Sephiroth away from here. But he didn't say _where_!' The frustration was evident to his concerned listener.

'Alright. I'll notify the police…'

'I already did that. They said a person has to be missing for twenty-four hours before they even start looking.'

'…well, that's the last time I support their funds…'

Kitty growled under her breath. If they didn't find Kadaj and fast, there might not be any Kadaj left to find. '…Yazoo, you and Loz get over to the bar. We'll meet you there. And we'll think of something. Keep your head on, ne?'

'Alright. Thank you.'

Just as Kitty got off the phone, Kurry came into her office. 'Hey… what's the matter?' she asked at the glower on Kitty's face.

'Kadaj has flown the coop; he seems to think he can lure Sephiroth away from us. He's a bloody fool to think that, though… that bastard will catch him before he gets ten miles from here.' Abruptly the chocolate-haired woman stood and stalked toward the door and Kurry. 'Come on, we've got to get down to the bar…'

Kurry gripped her arm. 'But we can't go just yet, Cloud's due back any minute!'

Kitty was about to release a snappish retort when she paused. '…Cloud…'

'Yes. He's just called me, they're at the airport.'

Spinning on her heel, Kitty walked back to the desk and punched in a number on her phone.

'Would Vincent please report to the Halfway Point? Urgent. Thank you.'

She then grabbed Kurry's hand and bolted from the room.

When Vincent swept in three minutes later Kitty practically pounced on him. 'Listen, don't talk, as we have very little time. You take your car, get your ass down to Seventh Heaven and tell Yazoo and Loz we'll be with them shortly. Cloud is due back any minute and we'll be following you. I can't explain it all now, but it's a matter of life and death.'

The fear hidden in Kitty's eyes was more than enough to convince Vincent. Without a word he turned and strode off, headed for the parking lot. Kitty turned to Kurry and said, 'Come on, he'll be here soon.'

Both women ran for the elevators.

* * *

Vincent nearly shattered the glass in the elevator on his way down to the parking lot. _Baka! _His mind screamed at him. _Fool! How could you? How could you leave them to deal with it, when you KNEW it was him!?_ _You heard the rumours, you even saw him in that church, yet you did nothing! Nothing! You were afraid of him even then, but you are stronger now than you were. There is no excuse for this!_

The ex-soldier leaned heavily on the panel wall, shaking a little. _I knew it was him… Sephiroth… the man who killed my colleagues… and I did nothing. Am I that much of a coward?_

Almost instantly he heard Cloud's voice, the soothing sound of his friend's wisdom drowning out his own conscience.

_It's never too late to correct a mistake._

The words resounded in his head. Cloud had spoken them to him when he had asked Vincent to be his vice-president; he had had enough confidence in them both to begin the process of rebuilding their broken lives. Their mistakes had caused the bombing of the city… but their contrition and faith had also helped it grow beyond what it had been before.

Vincent shot a glance at his own reflection in the mirror before him. A tremor ran through him as he saw reflected in his own eyes the same resolution that he had seen in Cloud's, that day so long ago when their journey began. Straightening his shirt, Vincent inhaled deeply and was calm. It was time to correct his mistake.

* * *

Cloud Strife whistled a lively tune as he pulled his briefcase from the satchel on his bike in the parking lot fourteen stories below. Fastening the clasp, he pocketed his keys and strode over to the elevators, missing Vincent on his way out by seconds. The blonde, blue-eyed CEO of ShinRa tried to tune out the mundane elevator music as he ascended toward the unknown surprise that was waiting for him in his office. _Why do we even have this crappy elevator music?_

'Heeeey ladies!' Cloud greeted Kitty and Kurry as they rushed up to him. 'Cloud! Thank goodness you're back…!' Kitty started, but Cloud chuckled. 'Missed me that much, did you?' He set his briefcase in its customary place and made his way over to the desk. Sitting down in his comfortable leather chair, he sighed contently, glad to be home. Then he turned to the women before him, who were fidgeting anxiously, knowing there was no use trying to rush Cloud Strife into anything.

'So, how goes it, my friends?'

Kurry looked entirely sheepish. 'Um… I hate to drop this on you so soon after your return, Cloud-san, but we've got issues.'

'Oh?' The CEO looked concerned. 'Has something happened to the company?'

'Well, no… but we've fallen in with your half-brother Kadaj.'

Cloud grinned. 'Oh yeah? I'm glad you finally got to meet him. He's a great guy, I've been meaning to introduce you.'

Kitty rubbed the back of her head nervously. 'Well, that's not the only thing… he's kind of in trouble.'

Cloud's face darkened instantly. 'What's happened?'

Kitty took a deep breath and spoke very quickly. 'Well, he was kidnapped this week and we got him back but we found out there's an assassin named Sephiroth after him and we're not sure why but now he's left and we're not sure where he is...'

At the mention of the name 'Sephiroth', Cloud's eyes nearly fell out of his head and he leapt out of his chair. 'WHAT??'

Kitty cringed. 'Gah… um…'

'Please, Cloud… we're not sure what else we can do… we've tried reasoning with Sephiroth, fighting him, running from him… nothing's worked… can you help us?' Kurry interjected, trying to maintain some sort of order.

Cloud ran a hand through his tousled blonde hair, looking torn between fright and confusion. '…where is Kadaj??' he asked suddenly, his voice on the brink of trembling.

An expression of intense worry flickered on Kitty's face. 'That's just the problem. We don't know. He left without telling us; all we got was a note. He said he didn't want to put us or his brothers in danger anymore.'

At her words, every muscle in Cloud's face tightened. 'Baka… baka _kuso…' _He moved swiftly toward a tall locked wall unit across from his desk. Whipping a set of keys from his pocket, he unlocked the case and opened it.

Kitty swore softly, her eyes going wide when she saw what lay within.

Cloud's voice carried a tone that neither female had ever heard before; sharp determination laced with worry and fear. 'This is First Tsurugi. It is the only weapon of its kind, and the only reason I survived the war.' He pulled the first gleaming blade from its casing, examining it for a moment. 'Thank kami I kept it in good condition all these years… I'm going to need it now…' He placed the blade on the desk and pulled a leather harness from the unit, strapping it onto his back.

'What does it do?' Kurry asked. 'There are so many of them but you speak as though they are one.'

Cloud explained tersely as he removed the seven swords, slipping each into its respective slot on his back. 'These blades attach to each other in a specified order to make one larger weapon, or I can use each on its own.'

'Ah.'

Kitty blinked. '…hang on, what are you planning to _do_ with that?'

Finished with the case, Cloud turned and pulled on his leather gloves. His eyes met Kitty's, and the woman shivered at the deadly expression reflecting in them.

'If Sephiroth is the same Sephiroth as I think it is, Kadaj is in very real danger. He's probably walking right into a trap. I've got to get to him as fast as I can and I need your help. Are you up to it?'

Kitty and Kurry nodded firmly. 'Of course,' Kitty replied. 'We're worried about 'Daj too. But I'd like to know what the danger is, besides that big sword Sephiroth carries.'

Cloud twitched visibly. 'So… he did get Masamune back… dammit…'

'Cloud, _tell us what's going on!'_

The CEO exhaled slowly.

'Let me put it this way… First Tsurugi is the only weapon ever known to defeat Masamune. If Sephiroth finds Kadaj before we do…'

Terror swept across Kurry's face. 'Oh gods…'

Kitty's lip curled into a snarl. 'Well, let's GO then!'

All three of them bolted for the stairs without another word.

Al was passing through the lobby when they sprinted past. At their grim expressions concern flashed across his face. 'What's happened?' he called.

Kurry slowed a fraction to answer, shooting Al a significant glance. 'He's running. We're out for the rest of the day, okay?' She swiftly disappeared.

Worry and confusion flickered over Alphonse's face. _Kadaj… what have you done…?_

He stood for a moment more, just thinking, then something altered within and an unwavering light came into his eyes.

_…I have faith in you. Do what you have to do._

* * *

The drive to Seventh Heaven was hair-raising, to say the least. As they pulled up, Tifa Lockheart came running out of the bar. 'Cloud!' she called, nearly frantic. 'Have you heard about Kadaj?!' He swiftly calmed her, then herded them all inside where Yazoo, Loz and Vincent were waiting. Stories were quickly exchanged.

'Yazoo was here when you dropped me off, Cloud,' Tifa explained in a frenzied voice. 'We tried to call you but you'd already left. Vincent showed up just a few minutes later.'

'Alright… and Kadaj didn't leave _any_ indication at all as to where he was going?'

'No,' Yazoo answered.

Cloud took his bottom lip between his teeth. '…did he take his cell phone with him?'

Yazoo and Loz blanched at this. 'You know… I don't remember seeing it when I looked in his room…' Loz admitted.

Cloud nodded. 'Call him. Vincent, find us a map. Kurry, the locator is in my satchel. We're going on a search.'

* * *

Kadaj had managed to avoid detection so far by driving to the south end of the city and hanging out in a mechanic's shop. The man there loved his bike, so he paid for a tune-up and waited for his trail to go cold. When he was sure his brothers weren't going to find him for awhile, Kadaj headed off again, bound for the industrial district near the docks. He figured that if he was going to find Sephiroth, the place to look would be the first place he had encountered him. Giving Seventh Heaven a wide berth, he drove deep into the maze of old buildings and tried to be as conspicuous as possible, hoping the assassin would find him.

As he was driving around, Kadaj's cell phone suddenly began to jingle. He ignored it, knowing it would be one or both of his brothers.

* * *

'Try him again.'

'Cloud, what's the point of this?' Kitty asked, now so antsy she couldn't sit still.

Cloud had hooked up a strange contraption to the phone that Yazoo was trying to call Kadaj on. 'When I was in the military, they issued us standard GPS tracking devices. I put one in each of these phones, which I gave as gifts to Yazoo, Kadaj and Loz before they left three years ago. I just wanted to make sure they'd be safe and boy, am I glad I did it now. Try him again… I only need a moment of connection… we'll irritate it out of him…'

Yazoo dialled. They all held their breaths.

'Come on, 'Daj… come on…'

* * *

Why would his phone not stop _ringing_? Kadaj had ignored it as long as he could, but the constant noise was just so annoying! In a huff, he picked up the phone and pressed 'talk', then clicked 'end' immediately afterward and turned off his phone.

_I don't want to be found, brothers… just leave me be…_

* * *

'Ha! I got him!'

Cloud's shout of triumph sent a wave of relief through all of them. 'He's somewhere west of here… in the industrial district…'

'That's a pretty big district,' Vincent murmured, but Loz's glare shut him up. 'It doesn't matter. If niisan's there, we'll find him.'

'Okay, so where are we going to start?' Kurry asked, poring over a map. Yazoo blinked, suddenly realising her meaning.

'I want you two to stay here.'

Kitty's eyes narrowed stubbornly. 'Hell no. We're in this together; you're not leaving us out of all the fun.' She grinned widely, somehow reminding Yazoo of a cat about to pounce.

He sighed. 'Alright… then at least do me one favour.'

'What would that be?'

'Hold out a hand.'

They did so, and Yazoo pressed a set of keys into each. 'This is my extra set,' he said, 'and you've got Loz's, Kitty. The bike keys are the black ones. Use them if you have to get away. Since I can't convince you not to come, at least keep these for me. Please, it just makes me feel better.'

The girls exchanged a dubious look, but both nodded. 'Alright.'

Yazoo relaxed visibly. These two women were headstrong and he had been afraid they would take offence at his offer of escape. 'Thank you. Let's go find him.'

* * *

Gaaah, this one was so LONG! X.x And pretty bad too... but it's up. Thank kami. More to follow, the editing's almost finished for the rest of the chapters. Please review! Thanks. 


	12. Rooftop Chase

Well, hi everyone. Yes, I'm still alive, although exams nearly killed me. /sigh/ That was hell. But enough about me. I'm sure you're anxious for the next chapter, and I'm pleased to announce that updates will occur every week from now until the end of the fic, at which point I will be finished school and ready to have a look over a lot of other work that will be postable in the future. Thank you all for your patience, and please enjoy this chapter.

* * *

Chapter 12 – Rooftop Chase

Unaware that his location was now known, Kadaj continued to drive around the docks, beginning to grow frustrated. He had been hoping that Sephiroth would have shown up by now. If he had to look anywhere else he ran the risk of running into his siblings and that was the last thing he wanted.

Lost in thought and the act of driving, Kadaj didn't even see the flying shadow until it hit him.

WHAM!

The bike spun wildly, careening toward a building. Kadaj wrenched the front wheel in several directions and managed to skid to a stop before he hit the wall. Through his silver bangs the songwriter could see a familiar figure advancing on him, Masamune in his hand. Struggling with the bike, Kadaj tried to rev the engine.

It failed.

_Shit_.

Scrambling up, Kadaj managed to tug himself free of the bike and ducked as Masamune came down exactly where he had been sitting seconds before. Desperately trying to work Souba out of its sheath, Kadaj bolted and heard rapid footsteps following him. Glancing back, he was just in time to deflect a blow from Sephiroth who was much closer than he had thought.

'Welcome to your deathbed, little dove,' the assassin hissed triumphantly. A flare of defiance rose in Kadaj and he threw Sephiroth off.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kadaj noticed a pile of culm close by. Throwing himself toward it, he grabbed a handful of the grainy silt and flung it into Sephiroth's face. A sharp growl told him it had found its mark and he sped away before the other could react, not daring to glance back and see if he was being followed.

_Well dammit, I've really put myself in a pinch now._ Kadaj thought as he ran. _Even if I lose him, he'll find me again before I can get my bike in working order… and I can't lead him away without it…_ He very nearly wished for help, but caught himself just in time. _No… if I call for help it'll put them in danger… dammit, what am I going to do?_

One thing was certain; he had to make a decision, and he was running out of time.

* * *

In the interest of speed, the searchers decided to double up on the bikes instead of bringing Kurry's car. Spinning into the industrial compound, Yazoo and Loz chose a side road and split off from Cloud, intending to spread the area they covered as much as possible. When the bikes could go no further they left them and continued on foot. No-one wasted any time in discussion; the goal was fresh on everyone's mind. Find Kadaj before Sephiroth did. They would have to move fast. With the clock ticking down the seconds, they began to search.

* * *

In his headlong flight away from the assassin, Kadaj found himself on top of a long building previously used as storage for lumber. He bolted along the top, praying that none of the beams beneath his feet would give way, and clambered up a slanted roof section. Reaching the edge he stopped short, flailing a little to regain his balance. A glance behind him showed the way clear for the moment. There was no other way down. Without hesitation, Kadaj leapt off the roof…

...and barely managed to flick Souba out of the way in midair before landing on the very people who were searching for him.

'Ooof!'

The impact sent them all tumbling to the pavement like dominoes. Dazed, Kadaj sat up and blinked.

'Oh no…'

''Daj!' He didn't get a chance to say anything more as he was bowled over again by a pair of overjoyed females. 'Oh thank kami, you're alive…'

Kadaj blushed furiously as they enveloped him in hugs. 'What are you guys doing here?' he asked in a muffled tone.

'What are you talking about? We came to make sure you didn't do anything stupid like try to lead Sephiroth away alone,' Kitty quipped, too relieved to be angry with him. The youth sighed. 'Guess I left a trail after all…'

Yazoo had regained his footing and now stood over them, chuckling. 'Kadaj, you're just too popular for your own good.' But Kadaj didn't share their view.

'Please, you've got to get out of here. He's coming, and I don't want any of you injured.'

'Who says we'll be injured?' Kurry asked, eyes flashing defiantly.

Nearly desperate now, Kadaj cupped Kurry's face in his palms and forced her to look him in the eye.

''Ry, I'd never forgive myself if something were to happen to any of you. I can't…' he trailed off and looked away, trying to find the words. 'I don't want to lose you like we did Mom. And I don't know how else to protect you.'

Touched yet still determined to stand by him, Kurry smiled at Kadaj, the sincerity in her eyes shaking him to the core. ''Daj… we're not afraid. We're going to stay, and we'll make it up as we go along. We can beat him if we stick together. Trust us, man, we're here for you. You won't lose anyone.'

Kadaj stared at her for a minute, and then at Kitty who was nodding in agreement to Kurry's words. Grey eyes beamed at him, lending support and encouragement without speech. Kadaj had never let anyone get too close to him in all three years of travel, instead focusing on keeping his grief at his mother's death from overwhelming him. Some part of him hidden deep inside had always been terrified of losing another person, being unable to save them as he had his mother. Now, standing here and faced with a promise of friendship, Kadaj had no idea what to do with it. But despite the danger – and the fear of loss - some part of him urged him to accept it; perhaps even the same part that was afraid.

His train of thought was cut off by a shout from Loz. They all whirled.

Sephiroth's eyes glinted maliciously. 'Well, dove, you've got a little army now, do you?' And without waiting for a reply, he attacked.

Shots rang out from both Velvet Nightmare and Shadow, but they did little to distract Sephiroth from his target. Kitty threw herself between Kadaj and the assassin, lashing out fiercely at Sephiroth's solar plexus, but she had little defence against Masamune. The sword flashed toward her head. She ducked the first blow, but she was so close that the fury in her steely gaze was reflected in the blade as it fell.

WHUMPH!

Kitty hit the ground and rolled, Loz's cry ringing in her ears as Masamune bit deep into his arm. Flinging the boy to one side, Sephiroth launched himself at Kurry who had shoved Kadaj out of his way. The blonde performed a fantastic back flip, snatching up a piece of old pipe as she went.

CLANG!

Sephiroth only struck once before he caught the pipe and wrenched it from her hands. 'I don't have time for you,' he hissed, shoving her harshly out of the way.

That was a mistake. With Kurry out of proximity, Yazoo opened fire with deadly accuracy. While the assassin was engaged in deflecting bullets, Kitty scrambled over to Loz.

'Are you alright?' she asked, helping him up.

'Yeah, just a little winded. It's fine,' he added when she began to examine his arm. 'My jacket took the worst of it.' And indeed, there was a long deep gash in the leather.

'Listen,' Loz murmured, a note of urgency entering his voice. 'Take Kadaj and run for it. Find Cloud and Vince. We're going to need reinforcements. Yazoo and I will try to hold him off.'

He reached for his weapon but Kitty still gripped his arm. 'Hey… you'll be careful, ne?'

Loz grinned fondly at her and winked reassuringly. 'Sure. We'll see you in a bit. Be safe.'

Thus convinced, Kitty darted toward Kadaj, skirting the line of fire. The young man was helping Kurry off the ground. 'Come on guys, we've gotta find Cloud.'

'No, I'm not leaving my brothers,' Kadaj started, but Kitty cut him off. 'You don't have a choice. They'll be alright, and the sooner we find Cloud, the better. Let's go.'

The girls forcibly pulled Kadaj with them while behind them Yazoo and Loz's guns spit fire at Sephiroth.

Despite the bullets whizzing past him, Sephiroth spied his prey escaping and snarled in frustration, but there was little he could do. Pinned down, he cast about for a means of escape and though it had been out of use since the war, his cunning did not now fail him.

Metal shrieked as Masamune sliced into the grated wall of the building behind him. Wrenching the rectangular piece off, Sephiroth speared it with his sword and held it before him. Stepping out from behind the crates that protected him, he began to advance on the enemy.

Yazoo swore violently and fired again. 'Brother, don't! You'll just waste bullets!' Loz shouted over the noise. The thundering gunfire died away. Sephiroth continued to advance, stopping barely twelve feet from them. The tension was electric; both sides waiting for the other to make a move. After a moment Sephiroth spoke, and his voice sent chills down their spines.

'Why do you still resist? Your brother is going to die; he is already dead. If I have to go through every one of you to destroy him, I will.'

'Like hell we'll let you,' Loz growled. 'What do you have against Kadaj anyway?'

'It is not the dove I have a grudge against, he is only a method of revenge. As soon as I have killed him, the rest of you will be free from this nightmare. Free yourselves and turn him over to me so it can end.'

'Never,' Yazoo hissed, fury boiling in his blood. 'I will never let you take him.'

There was silence for a moment behind the metal sheet.

'Have it your way then.'

A sharp twist and the metal lay shorn in half. Yazoo let out a blast, but Sephiroth had gotten within his range. Yazoo flung out an arm reflexively.

A flash of red flew between them. There was a resounding crunch as Vincent collided with Sephiroth, hands grappling for control of Masamune. Vincent had an iron grip on the hilt and refused to let go. 'Shoot him!' the executive hollered, but neither Shinrova moved for fear of hitting their friend.

Now entirely enraged, Sephiroth let out a roar and caught Vincent by the throat. The ebony-haired man was lifted off his feet, clutching at the assassin's wrist. 'Leave… them… alone…' Vincent gasped, the words losing none of their vehemence despite his lack of air. Sephiroth dragged him close, jade eyes boring into scarlet ones.

'I refuse. I want him to suffer for what he put me through.'

With stars nearly erupting before his eyes, Vincent managed to reply. 'What… about… what… you did… to… us?'

In a flash, Sephiroth hurled Vincent into Yazoo and Loz, sending all three crashing backwards. Before they had a chance to recover, the assassin had disappeared again.

Loz swore under his breath. Vincent managed to regain enough air to say hoarsely, 'Come on… we've got to catch up…'

'Take a moment to breathe, Vince,' Yazoo replied, coaxing him to sit on a nearby crate.

'What was that all about?' Loz asked, anxious to get moving but also concerned for Vincent.

'Well… I don't know how much I should tell you, but I know now why Sephiroth is doing this. The real question though, is why he wants Kadaj as well.'

'Where is Cloud, anyway?'

'We split up to cover more ground. I hope to hell the girls find him first, or else the shit will really hit the fan.'

Loz growled and began to stalk back and forth before them. 'Dammit, this is driving me crazy. Sephiroth comes after niisan for no apparent reason and you seem to know something about why but you won't tell us. I just want to know what the hell is going on and why we're even in this mess.'

'I'm more worried about finding Kadaj and regrouping right now,' Yazoo said. 'We can figure the rest out la-…' The words died on his lips as Vincent shot him a look that froze the blood in his veins.

'It's not Kadaj he's really after.'

'What?' Loz asked, even more perplexed.

Vincent seemed to consider, then he hauled himself up. 'I'll explain on the way. We don't have much time.'

Yazoo began to run in the direction Sephiroth had gone. 'Let's go then! I'm so sick of this guy I can't stand it anymore!'

The other two quickly followed.

* * *

Kitty had had the brilliant idea of gaining some height in order to spot Cloud. They had climbed up a shed and were now hurrying across a low roof toward a higher compound.

Kadaj's muscles were screaming and his mind was abuzz. They couldn't keep running forever; eventually it would come down to a fight. As he thought this, he suddenly had a brainwave. _That's what he wants… he's running us down, wearing us out so he can pick us off one by one._ The realization made Kadaj's blood blaze in rebellion. No Shinrova had ever been run to his death, and he refused to be the first. The stubbornness in his veins aroused, Kadaj decided it was time to take the battle into his own hands.

Reaching a ladder, they ascended the rungs as fast as they could. Kurry was just above Kadaj and almost to the top when she happened to glance down and saw that Kadaj had stopped.

''Daj, what are you doing? Come on!'

Kadaj raised his head and met her eyes, and Kurry felt a pang of fear go through her. His eyes were glowing.

'Listen,' he said slowly. 'I know he'll have thrown off my brothers by now. He's just that crafty. I need to deal with this myself. I'm going to draw him off you two. Get back down to the docks and find my brothers. Find Cloud. He's the only one who can help us now.'

Even as Kurry opened her mouth to protest, she knew there would be no arguing with him. She glanced up the ladder at Kitty, sharing a worried but determined look with her best friend. Kitty nodded almost imperceptibly; Kurry took her bottom lip between her teeth, and then she was shimmying back down the ladder. She reached down, caught hold of Kadaj's collar and before he could react, she had hauled him up and pressed her lips gently to his. The contact lasted only a moment but it left him breathless. Pulling away, his aqua eyes met her sapphire ones and he read both fear and pride in their depths.

'That was from both of us,' she whispered fiercely. 'If you don't come back alive we will be seriously ticked off. Be careful. He wants to kill you. Don't you _dare_ let him.'

Kadaj was momentarily stunned, but when he glanced past Kurry and saw the same fierce pride in Kitty's eyes – pride in _him_ – he knew what he had to do.

'I will come back. I promise.'

'We'll hold you to that,' Kitty replied simply, but her words held so much more.

Kadaj nodded.

In a flash they were gone over the edge of the roof. Kadaj felt a swell of emotion run through him; the fact that they trusted him and his promise made him feel indestructible. His mind was suddenly, powerfully clear. Quickly descending the ladder again, Kadaj bolted off across the rooftops.

* * *

Catlike silver eyes carefully scanned the heights, seeking out any sort of movement whatsoever. Sephiroth smirked to himself; the hunt was turning out to be so much more entertaining when his prey thought it could actually escape him.

_Where are you...? You can't hide from me…_

The assassin whirled, sensing something nearby, but nothing moved.

'...hello, little dove.'

Kadaj dropped silently to the roof behind him, straightening slowly.

'This little dove has a falcon on his side.'

'Really now? Is this falcon going to come and rescue you?'

'Don't confuse me with someone who needs rescuing,' Kadaj replied steadily, no trace of fear in his voice as he pulled Souba from its sheath.

Sephiroth turned to face him then, holding Masamune nonchalantly in his left hand.

'You have a tendency toward double blades, I see. Do you really think you can win against me? What will your little girlfriends think when I send you back to them in pieces?'

Kadaj's eyes were blazing with cool fury. 'I made a promise and I intend to keep it,' he stated simply, but the emphasis on the word 'promise' made Sephiroth raise an eyebrow.

'Is that so…?'

'Yes. And I'll be damned if I let you break that promise.'

Having spoken his piece, Kadaj shifted into a fighting stance, Souba's energy roaring through his veins. Sephiroth regarded him thoughtfully for a moment, then a smirk crossed his face and he crouched.

'Let us see who will be the victor - predator or prey.'

As the words left his lips, Sephiroth launched himself at Kadaj. The youth parried the blow, and the battle was joined. Faster than the naked eye could follow they clashed again and again, their singing blades glinting in the bright sunlight. Leaping high over Sephiroth's head, Kadaj flipped and attacked from above, only to be thrown off. Landing on his feet, he blocked a jarring blow from Masamune, gritting his teeth against the pressure.

'Give it up, little dove; your time to die is now.'

As the killer spoke, a vision flashed across Kadaj's mind; soft hazel, sharp sapphire, steel grey, and two sets of aqua, all blazing with pride in him. A surge of strength shot through him and he threw Sephiroth off with a snarl. As the assassin retaliated, Kadaj shifted Souba in his hands and locked the swords together, Masamune trapped _between_ Souba's two blades. Kadaj wrenched the blades sharply. Masamune flew out of Sephiroth's hands with such force that it lodged itself in the metal roof, vibrating heavily.

Both opponents paused and gaped at the sword. Kadaj was distracted a second too long, however, as a fist came out of nowhere and collided with his jaw. He struggled to remain upright, pain lancing through his cheek and stars erupting in his vision as he tried to focus on his adversary's actions.

Sephiroth retrieved his sword calmly enough, though a close observer would notice that he was trembling with barely controlled rage. 'I have only been disarmed once before,' he admitted frankly, turning toward the silver-haired youth who was trying desperately to clear his sight. 'That was a fatal mistake, dove.'

He moved faster than Kadaj could blink; one second he was twelve feet away; next instant he was _there_. With a flick of Sephiroth's wrist Souba went skittering away across the roof. A kick to the chest knocked the wind out of Kadaj; he landed hard, wincing as the gravel bit into his palms. Before he could react, he once again found the tip of Masamune at his throat.

Sephiroth stood gloatingly over him, revelling in his triumph. 'Well, little dove, let this be a lesson to you. It is impossible for the prey to escape; it is the law of nature itself.' He leaned a little closer, smirking openly now. 'Don't worry though. I won't tell your girlfriends just how pathetically you died.'

Kadaj's eyes burned with rage, stubbornly refusing to show fear, but inwardly he felt his heart shatter. Not with the fear of death, but with sorrow that he had not been able to keep his promise.

_I'm sorry… I tried…_

Masamune came down.

At the same time, the fury of all furies descended on Sephiroth.

WHAM!

The assassin was knocked back fifteen feet by the blow. Blinking to clear his view, Sephiroth whipped Masamune up into a defensive position and paled when he recognised his new attacker.

Cloud Strife was standing protectively over Kadaj, one of his legendary blades in each hand and the rest strapped to his back. 'Did you miss me?' he smirked, glaring with all hatred at the assassin.

Sephiroth curled his lip contemptuously. 'Don't flatter yourself, Strife,' he snapped.

Cloud grinned, but his expression held no mirth. 'That's rich, coming from the bastard who dared to go after my brothers in order to get to me.'

'Be careful, niisan,' Kadaj murmured, getting cautiously to his feet. 'He's dangerous.'

'Of course he's dangerous,' Cloud replied. 'He's insane.'

Kadaj gasped. Sephiroth's face darkened with an ugly expression of hate. His jaded eyes were glinting madly. 'Doesn't matter, dove,' he snarled. 'I'll kill you both!'

Cloud slashed at him as he attacked. First Tsurugi bit deep into Sephiroth's arm as he tried to dodge the blow, and he hissed at the pain before leaping away to bound off over the rooftops.

'He's _running? Now?' _Kadaj asked in disbelief.

'No. He's choosing his own battleground. Come on, this ends here.' Cloud clicked together the two blades in his hand and made to go after Sephiroth.

'Hey wait! If he's insane, why don't we just capture him and take him back to whatever asylum he was in?'

Cloud sent Kadaj a surprised look. '…and when he finds another way to escape? He's already been in the most advanced security facility the continent has and he made it out. Don't make the mistake of thinking he's given up. You don't know who you're dealing with. Sephiroth is out for blood now - you've disarmed him once. He'll _never_ stop coming after you, 'Daj. He hates being beaten, even a little. He'll come after the people you love too, if we don't finish this now. We have no choice anymore.'

A flash of fear crossed Kadaj's face, but he nodded and bolted for Souba. Snatching the blade up, he followed Cloud over the edge of the building. Both men landed on their feet and were off again, their breath coming ragged in the still air.


	13. Showdown

I'll keep this short so that you can get right to it. Expect updates frequently to the end of the fic. By frequently I mean every other day or so. That is all.

Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 13 – Showdown 

They caught up to Sephiroth five rooftops over, on a longer building that had more room. The assassin was waiting for them, Masamune flashing deadly and bright. Kadaj and Cloud landed directly in their fighting positions, swords at the ready. The three combatants circled a little, sizing each other up properly this time. Kadaj's countenance was set in fierce determination, but Cloud had confronted this opponent before and was wary. Sephiroth, for his part, remained as calm as one could when facing two at once. When the tension in the air seemed about to snap them in half, Sephiroth struck first and the conflict was joined.

The battle was harsh and long - the rivals were evenly matched. The dual side's strategy was simple, and they fell into it as quickly as natural warriors do on the battlefield. Cloud, the more experienced fighter, took the brunt of Sephiroth's assaults while Kadaj acted as a distraction. He harried the assassin between attacks by Cloud, wearing him down. Against their combined strength and cunning Sephiroth was hard pressed, but this only made him more fierce. He retaliated with deadly accuracy, constantly aiming for any weak spots he could find. But Kadaj and Cloud were an impenetrable force, so after a few minutes he decided to change tactics.

'Are your little girlfriends going to be showing up?' Sephiroth asked in that same silky tone, directing his question to Kadaj. Though he by no means relaxed his assault, he seemed almost casual in the way that he conversed while fighting. 'I shall enjoy destroying them once I'm finished with you. You never should have defied me, little dove. You sealed their fates the moment you decided to resist.'

'I can protect them and I will,' Kadaj replied, refusing to lose his focus.

'Like you protected that Elric boy? Please. I could have spilled his blood in that alleyway and you wouldn't have been able to do a thing about it.' The assassin smirked and threw the youth off in time to clash with Cloud again. Catching First Tsurugi at the hilt, Sephiroth flung him back with considerable strength and added, 'I was rather surprised that a boy like that would associate himself with you. But I suppose he's one of those soft types that will attach themselves to any worthless fool.'

Unlike Cloud, Kadaj still had not mastered the mental control gained by extensive training and was by now seething with fury.

'Leave Alphonse out of it!' he shouted, renewing his attacks with fresh vigour. 'Being gentle isn't a crime, but I don't suppose you'd know anything about that! He's got more spirit than anyone I know and he's an excellent fighter. You have no right to judge him!'

'Oh, but I do, little dove,' Sephiroth hissed. 'I have stood between life and death and watched people cross the line. I even forced a couple of them to cross it myself. It is my duty, dove, nothing more.'

'But life is so important,' Kadaj argued, fending off blows. 'People can be taken from you, yes, but it's more important to enjoy the time that you have with them. I know when you lose someone, when you watch someone die, it seems as though life has no meaning. But it's in the memories of the good times that the meaning lies, and that is supposed to keep you whole.' Kadaj's aqua eyes flickered a little with a half-forgotten ache. 'Even if you lose someone who is supposed to protect you and be there for you, you can't blame yourself. You just have to keep your memories of the person intact somehow, and move on.'

Cloud sent a sharp glance at Kadaj, but the young man didn't notice. His words only seemed to aggravate Sephiroth.

There came a standstill then, as Sephiroth put distance between them by leaping backwards a few feet. Both sides were panting heavily.

Sephiroth refused to surrender, despite the blood he could feel trickling from various wounds on his body. He gripped Masamune tighter, every fibre of muscle in him coiled tight. Cloud was tense as well, but he decided to try reasoning with their stubborn opponent.

'Give it up Sephiroth. We aren't going to die so easily.'

Jade eyes narrowed dangerously; it was a look filled with intent to kill, a predator's gaze.

'Any living thing can be killed eventually. You should know that better than anyone, Strife. I am not the only one you have crossed; retribution is coming. It is only a matter of time, and your time is now.'

He tensed to spring.

Souba and First Tsurugi came up.

BLAM!

The triple report echoed over the docks. A look of complete shock crossed Sephiroth's face, followed by one of agony. He staggered, his onward rush interrupted by the force of the strike. His eyes travelled from Cloud's face to Kadaj's. When their eyes met, the youth shuddered at the absolutely furious frustration reflected in the jaded orbs.

'...damn you… Strife… Shinrova… damn you to hell….'

He sagged to his knees, still struggling to hold onto life, but it slipped from his grasp as easily as Masamune slipped from his fingers. The assassin drew his last shuddering breath and collapsed heavily to the ground.

Behind him, Yazoo, Loz and Vincent withdrew their smoking weapons, flipping them back into their holsters. Vincent moved forward and crouched to prod the still form.

'The only problem is, you were a living being too,' he murmured, almost apologetically.

Kadaj took a slow breath, feeling his adrenaline rush begin to slow. '…is he…?'

'Yes,' Cloud answered heavily, sorrow overcoming his features. 'I wish it could have ended differently, but he took our only choice away when he refused to surrender.'

Loz glanced at Cloud sharply. '…you wanted to save him?'

Cloud's crystal eyes shut tight for a moment, fighting the grief welling up inside him. When he replied his voice was thick and unfamiliar, as though he were speaking to them from another time.

'Life is the most precious thing and death… violent death… can never be truly justified. As soon as we learn to kill as easily as he did, we lose all our humanity. But I must feel sympathy for him, because he couldn't know that there are always other options. When we learn to kill as easily as he did… we forget that there is reason to live.'

Somehow, as they stood there in an impromptu sort of cenotaph, Cloud's words began to make sense to Kadaj. _He was human once… he had likes and dislikes… maybe he even liked music… but because he fell to death, let himself be driven insane by it, he forgot his humanity. _The idea was terrifying in a very real way. Kadaj shuddered and closed his eyes, suddenly wishing it had ended in any way but this.

'Where are the girls?' he asked after a moment.

'They're waiting by the bikes,' Yazoo replied. 'We should get back there.'

Cloud nodded. 'He's starting to fade back into the Lifestream anyway. It'll be okay.'

'Thank kami it's over,' Loz muttered.

Vincent said something in a low voice that Kadaj didn't catch, but Cloud sent his friend a fond look before walking off in the direction of the vehicles. Each of them sent a solemn glance at their fallen foe before following.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kurry and Kitty were indeed waiting, but they were not pleased about it. Upon coming across the girls and finding Kadaj had left them, Yazoo had insisted they remain 'for their own safety', a fact which royally ticked Kitty off. Kurry leaned against one of the bikes, lost in thought while Kitty paced angrily. 

'Dammit, I HATE waiting around helplessly!' she burst out.

Kurry wasn't listening. She was thinking hard.

'Kitty… does it make sense to you that Sephiroth would randomly start attacking Kadaj?'

Kitty shrugged. 'I'd assumed he had a grudge or something. Why?'

Kurry's brow furrowed, then suddenly her eyes went wide. 'My gods, how could I be so blind?!'

'What?' Kitty was now utterly confused.

'Remember when we ran into him in the church? Sephiroth only wanted Kadaj because he said Kadaj was bait… and he admitted he was an assassin, which implies he was _hired _to murder 'Daj…'

Something was tickling the back of Kitty's mind; something that Sephiroth had said back in the cathedral…

_Don't flatter yourself, you're just bait… I have bigger plans to take care of and sadly, you're needed in order to catch my true prey…_

Kitty and Kurry both looked at each other at the same time, shock and disbelief evident in their features.

'He wants someone else,' Kitty said in a half-whispered tone, fearful that they had missed a vitally important detail. 'But who? And why?'

Kurry exhaled slowly. 'Damn. I don't know… it doesn't make sense...'

The girls were silent for a moment. Kitty couldn't help but clutch at the handlebar on Cloud's bike. It helped to feel something solid, to ground her against the rush of terror that had suddenly come over her. _He wants someone else… Kadaj was only bait, we're still in danger…_

She was staring at her own fingers curled around the handle, trying desperately to figure it out, when a flicker of realisation struck her like a lightning bolt.

'He wants Cloud.'

'What? Why?'

'... because of the war. Something happened during the war and Sephiroth wants revenge for it. Cloud said that First Tsurugi was the only weapon to defeat Masamune. That means they fought. And Cloud won.'

'...but he said he was an assassin, that he had a job. Could he still have been hired?' Kurry speculated.

'Yes,' Kitty replied slowly, still working it out. 'If there was another who had a reason to harm Cloud, who better to choose than someone who already has a motive for his death? But who is he working for?'

Kurry mused on this for a moment, then she snapped her fingers. 'The one who wanted the company… Pleiades Naraku! Remember how shocked he looked when he met Kadaj that day in Vincent's office? He might have been surprised to see him alive. He couldn't get ShinRa legally, so now he's trying to take revenge. If Cloud dies he'll get it by default!'

The colour was slowly draining from Kitty's face. 'But that's despicable!'

'I know. It's an utterly revolting thing to do.' The blonde producer looked at her best friend with determination. 'I know this is far-fetched. We might be totally off the mark here, but if I can get to a computer, I can see if there's any evidence against him. He's the only one that I can think of with any sort of motive for this kind of thing. If Naraku is the one behind all this, we have to expose him. Otherwise Cloud and Kadaj will always be in danger.'

'Would Naraku go that far?'

Kurry shrugged her shoulders apprehensively. 'Hey, you heard how the court case went. If he wanted ShinRa that badly he might have tried _every_ means possible. I doubt he'd be above breaking the law.'

'I knew there was something I didn't like about that man…'

Kitty slumped against Cloud's bike, scuffing her shoe impatiently. 'Dammit… we can't wait, but we can't go either…' She sighed irritably.

Kurry jumped suddenly. 'Hang on…'

Kitty raised her head. '…oh yeah.'

Both of them pulled the sets of keys Yazoo had given them out of their pockets and glanced down at the bikes they were sitting on.

'...do you even know how to drive one of these?' Kurry asked.

Kitty grinned.

* * *

Also, PLEASE! PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE REVIEW, PEOPLE! It helps chapters get uploaded faster. REALLY. I PROMISE! 

Thank you.

Button's down there. See? It's periwinkle. And shiny. Like Zexion's hair. Push it and write something constructive. Pleaseandthankyou.

/goes off to find pie/


	14. Exposure

Here we go again!

* * *

Chapter 14 – Exposure 

It took fifteen minutes to make their way across the compound to where Yazoo and Loz had left the girls with the bikes. Upon returning and finding them gone, the boys called several times with no response. Kadaj looked like he was about to have a minor panic attack when Loz paused suddenly, every muscle going taut with confused apprehension.

'...where's my bike?'

* * *

The steady roar of the engine in their ears drowned out any conversation the girls might have had on their way to the ShinRa building. Kitty weaved through traffic like an expert, Kurry clinging on somewhat uneasily behind. After a twenty minute drive and a narrow encounter with an elderly lady, they pulled up in front of the ShinRa building and parked. Kurry climbed down rather unsteadily. 

'Remind me never to let you drive again…'

Kitty smirked.

Both of them dashed toward the ShinRa building, using their passkeys to enter since it was after hours. Kurry didn't even bother going to her office. She ran directly to the front desk and logged on as an administrator. Calling up the web program, she typed furiously while Kitty waited with bated breath for an answer.

It took half an hour, but when Kurry leaned back from the screen to let Kitty view it she wore a slightly smug expression on her face.

'Check this out. The limo that was used to kidnap Kadaj was ordered by a secretary in Naraku's company from her home phone two days before. Same license number and everything. The secretary is no longer working at Youko-Ai,' Kurry stated, fingers tapping steadily on the keyboard. 'I'm going to assume he had her send it to Sephiroth before it went to get Kadaj.'

'Naturally. Should I call him now?' Kitty replied.

'Yes… no, wait a moment…'

'What did you find?'

Kurry's brow was creased in concentration. 'Kitty… look at this. This article was removed from the media at Naraku's request. It wasn't even allowed to circulate…'

Kitty leaned over her friend's shoulder to read the article.

_Youko-Ai in tatters; ShinRa motivation increasing, _the headline read. The article went on to describe how the people were turning to Cloud for support in the wake of his takeover from his uncle, and explained how they had vehemently boycotted Naraku's company when they found out he had tried to buy ShinRa out. The article was dated a couple weeks after Cloud had received his inheritance, including the company.

'Naraku must have been ticked at this…' Kurry murmured.

'...ticked enough to hire an assassin?'

Kurry stared at Kitty for a moment, then began to shut the computer down at lightning speed.

'Call Kadaj and do it fast. This isn't over yet.'

* * *

The boys had returned to the bar, thinking that Kurry had wanted to come back to her vehicle. Since they found the SUV in the same place it had been left, Kadaj had been pacing the length of the bar while they attempted to figure out where the girls could have disappeared to. The young songwriter was becoming frantic when they were interrupted by the ringing of Kadaj's cell phone. He whipped it out in a flash.

'Hello?'

''Daj? You alright?'

Kadaj nearly collapsed in relief. 'Oh, thank kami… I'm fine. Kitty, where _are _you?!'

'We've got a lead. Can you meet us at Youko-ai Inc. in about fifteen minutes?'

'...'

''Daj, there's more to this than meets the eye… we don't know everything yet, but it's not over. Lead him with you if you have to, but please, trust me. I can't tell you on here.'

'...alright. We're coming. Please don't do anything until we get there.'

Even as he said it, he was certain he could almost _hear_ her grinning over the phone. ''Daj, you worry too much. We'll see you there.'

The line clicked dead.

A wave of foreboding swept over the silver-haired youth.

'Dammit… we've got to _go!_ _Now!_'

'Where?' asked Loz, still a little confused as to the whereabouts of his bike.

'Youko-ai.'

'Youko-ai?' Cloud repeated as if he couldn't believe his ears. 'Why?'

'No clue. But I have a bad feeling about it.'

Cloud looked at his young half-brother for a moment, then nodded firmly. 'Alright. You're the boss.'

'Let's move.'

* * *

Kitty drove at almost breakneck speed to Youko-Ai, both girls fearing that Naraku would be preparing to flee just in case his plan fell through. Parking across the street, they leapt from the bike and ran toward the building, only to be stopped short by another obstacle. 

'We won't be able to get in, you know. It's after hours by now and the doors will be locked.'

Kurry sighed. 'Dammit, I didn't think of that…' She leaned on the door to catch her breath and nearly fell through when it opened under her weight.

'...o-kay, guess I was wrong.'

The producers entered together, cautiously glancing around for any sign of movement. The front desk was unoccupied and there were no employees in sight. Kitty motioned at an office a little down the hall and they walked over to knock. When no-one answered, Kitty tried the door and it opened to reveal a bare set of cubicle spaces.

_Something is very wrong here…_

They began to systemically search each office, wondering where in the heck all the employees were. Naraku's company was big, though not as big as ShinRa, and it couldn't possibly have run properly on the efforts of only one or two people.

'Why is there no-one here?' Kitty asked rhetorically, peeking into yet another empty office. 'This place is starting to creep me out.'

'Yeah. Naraku must be in more trouble than we thought. It's so empty,' Kurry replied softly, as though her voice would trigger something terrible if she spoke any louder.

They searched the entire building. Every computer was shut off; every desk stood vacant. Beginning to get a severe case of the heebie-jeebies, Kitty suddenly gasped as she realised what the significance was.

'Kurry… Naraku must not be able to afford his employees. They've all deserted the company.'

'He's going bankrupt,' Kurry muttered, more to herself than her companion. 'Come on, there's one more floor to check.'

The final level ended up being Naraku's personal offices. The door wasn't locked, so they simply looked around without touching anything. There was no reference anywhere linking Sephiroth to Naraku; all they had was the limo record.

'Come on,' Kitty said, tugging Kurry's sleeve. 'We won't find anything. Let's get out of…'

She was interrupted by a soft click.

Both young women whirled.

'Good evening, ladies.'

Kitty glared venomously. 'Naraku.'

Naraku smirked, idly tucking one hand into the pocket of his cream-coloured suit. His other hand pointed a small revolver at them almost casually.

'You're just lucky, I suppose.'

'Whatever you're planning, you won't get away with it,' Kurry retorted, her voice sharp.

Naraku chuckled. 'Really now… who says I'm planning anything?

Kitty rolled her eyes. 'Oh brother. You've just given yourself away with the fact that we're staring down the barrel of a gun. Normal CEO's don't do that. Don't try to play us, Naraku.'

'I'm not trying to play anyone. You're the ones that I've caught trespassing.'

'You hired Sephiroth to kill Kadaj and Cloud,' Kurry accused, hoping the change of subject would startle Naraku into a confession.

'Cloud? Oh, Cloud Strife. Of course not, that would cause too much commotion,' Naraku replied calmly.

Both girls hesitated.

'But… you wanted Kadaj to get to Cloud…' Kitty persisted, though she now looked unsure.

Kurry narrowed her eyes. 'Not Cloud _himself_… the company… you want ShinRa Corporations.'

Naraku sneered. 'Well done angel.'

Kitty stiffened visibly at the use of the pet name. 'Watch it, you bastard. You know you can't have the company. It's Cloud's by right; he inherited it.'

'Exactly. Now imagine for a second if one of your family members was killed. How would you react?'

A light suddenly clicked on in Kitty's mind. 'Oh my god… you wanted Cloud to come after YOU…'

Naraku was still smiling eerily. 'Yes. With Kadaj dead, I knew Cloud would fly into a rage and come after me - possibly even attack me. He can accuse me all he wants. Sephiroth is too good at his job to leave clues for anyone but Cloud. He will lead Cloud straight to me, yes, but the police will find the clues unsubstantial and dismiss his accusations. Frustrated, he will attack me directly in revenge.' The dark haired man grinned, a look of evil triumph crossing this face. 'I don't even have to do anything. The media will take Cloud down. If I can't get him declared mentally unstable, I can take him to court and sue him for unprovoked assault. Either way, the company is mine.'

Kurry wrinkled her nose, utterly disgusted with the man. 'You're sick. What makes you think you can just take over?'

Naraku tightened his grip on the gun a tad, his features turning ugly. 'That bastard Strife is losing me my profits. If I get his company, I'll sell more music than any other recording business in Midgar; perhaps even on the entire continent. Subsequently, I'll become the richest man on the continent too.'

Kitty shook her head. 'You're a disgrace to the industry. Music isn't about wealth; it's about the love of the art.'

Naraku snarled suddenly. 'Don't give me that bullshit. Do you think musicians and songwriters care about the actual music? All they care about is making it big and gaining the kind of fame that will make them rich. Music doesn't matter; only power does.'

'I can think of one who doesn't make music just for the money,' Kitty growled defensively.

'That freak with the silver hair? Please. That worthless buffoon couldn't make it if he tried. He'll always be overshadowed by Strife.'

'You don't know that,' Kitty retorted, her entire countenance rigid with anger. 'Kadaj is incredibly talented… no, not only talented. He has a real love and appreciation for the music, and that is a characteristic that he and Cloud share. They're equals, and they're certainly better than _you_.'

While they were arguing, Kurry glanced toward the hall, gauging the distance to the exit. Naraku was shaking with fury, but after a moment he took a deep breath and his smug demeanour returned.

'Well, all that doesn't matter. You've left your precious Kadaj alone. He's surely dead by now. You've forsaken him already, I can see that much. And don't even think about it, Miss Kurishi… you'll be dead as well before you make it three feet. You both know too much. Sadly, collateral damage was not in my plan, but no-one will find you anyway.'

He raised the gun and fired.

CLANG!

The bullet ricocheted off Souba with a deafening noise. Kurry opened her eyes and gasped in utter astonishment. 'Kadaj!'

Naraku blanched. 'What the…?'

Kadaj smirked. 'You missed. After a speech like that, how could I not come to the rescue?'

Reacting in fury, Naraku fired off the gun repeatedly. Spinning Souba in front of him until the shining blade was a blur, Kadaj deflected all of them. Naraku's weapon clicked empty. The CEO turned abruptly and tried to run, but the silver-haired swordsman was faster. Catching Naraku by the shoulder, Kadaj slammed him against the wall with Souba's tips at his throat.

'How dare you try to harm them,' he hissed, his heart still pounding from his run and hearing Kitty's words from behind the door.

Naraku didn't even waver; he simply smirked again. Kadaj blinked and then inhaled sharply as Naraku's knee connected with his groin. He doubled up in agony, releasing Naraku as he tried to remain standing. He needn't have worried. Naraku whirled toward the door and found himself staring down the fully formed First Tsurugi.

'Don't move,' Cloud commanded, his tone brooking no argument. Naraku froze instantly.

'Are you three alright?' Vincent asked. 'We heard gunshots…'

'We're fine,' Kadaj gasped, the pain starting to lessen. He propped himself up against the wall, panting a little and glaring daggers at Naraku. 'Bastard tried to shoot them… good thing I got here…'

Kurry moved across the room toward Kadaj. 'We're so glad you're alive. How did you escape? How did you get here so fast?'

Kadaj's eyes softened as he gazed at the two women. 'I've… actually been here for a few minutes… I was biding my time. I'm sorry.'

Kitty went rigid beside Vincent. '…how long?'

Kadaj smiled at her. 'Long enough.'

Naraku rolled his eyes. 'As lovely as this reunion is, I have a schedule to keep.'

Cloud's blue-green eyes were smouldering with rage. 'You're not going anywhere.'

Naraku scoffed. 'Even if you unveil me, Sephiroth won't rest until his orders have been carried ou-…'

'Sephiroth is dead.'

Those who had not been present gaped at Yazoo as he and Loz entered. 'He's WHAT?! How?' Kitty blustered.

Naraku regained his composure in an instant and sighed. 'How unfortunate… but he was beginning to annoy me anyway…'

Cloud growled. 'Shut up Naraku. You're going to jail for a long time for this. How dare you threaten my brothers?'

'You think so?' Naraku retorted, ignoring Cloud's question.

No-one noticed him subtly press a button on the button of his sleeve.

'You kidnapped Kadaj, hired an assassin and are trying to take over my company. I'd like to see you explain this one, Naraku.'

The CEO did not reply; only smiled his infuriating smile.

'All in good time, Strife.'

Vincent suddenly cocked his head to one side.

'...what's that noise?'

CRASH!

Everyone except Naraku threw themselves down as the back wall blew inward, strewing dust and debris everywhere. Through the suddenly blinding light Kadaj could make out the shape of a helicopter hovering lazily on the other side. Naraku dashed over and stepped directly from the building onto the copter.

'I'd like to see _you_ explain the damage to my building, Strife!' he called. 'See you in court!'

Kadaj struggled to his feet, seeing Naraku climb into the pilot's seat. The copter was still very close to the building - it must have been on autopilot. Kadaj didn't think, didn't pause to consider. He had only one chance. Gripping Souba tightly, he ran forward.

Kurry shrieked in terror as Kadaj sprung from the gaping hole, catching hold of the copter's landing runner just as it pulled away. Feet dangling in space, Kadaj felt a wave of terror go through him. _Very… high…_ Steeling himself, he reached up and hauled himself onto the runner, fighting to crawl into the copter as the wind sucked at him and threatened his grip.

Naraku didn't notice the buck in the flight pattern as the copter flew off. He was too busy concocting a new plan. His old-fashioned style yacht was at the docks. If he could just reach it, he would be home free.

Unfortunately, his adversary had other ideas.

'Land it,' Kadaj hissed, Souba's double-edge pressed firmly to Naraku's throat.

'Someone's ruthless,' Naraku commented casually.

'I said land it!'

'Very well…'

He aimed for the docks, and Kadaj breathed. However, as they began to overshoot the docks, he tightened his grip again. 'Hey! Land it ON LAND!'

Naraku's voice was monotone. 'I am bankrupt, Mr. Shinrova. I have nothing left. Even if I do not survive, I will still have my revenge on Strife. Even if I die here… you're coming with me.'

In one swift move, he pushed the controls down and locked them. The nose dipped dramatically. Kadaj fell against the back of the seat. 'Are you insane??'

Naraku was silent. Kadaj felt a stab of pity, but he had no other choice.

'Fine. Have it your way.'

He turned toward the door, not seeing the glint in Naraku's eye as he did.

The CEO lunged.

* * *

The others watched in shocked horror as Kadaj swung precariously from the runner. Loz was restraining Yazoo, who had very nearly leapt out after him without thinking. Kitty's knees actually buckled in relief as they saw the now tiny figure make it safely inside the copter. 

'They're heading for the docks,' Vincent said tersely.

'Let's go!'

The trip down the stairs turned into a silent race to reach the bikes.

'Please, let us get there in time…' Kurry whispered as she leapt on behind Yazoo. Kitty jumped on Loz's bike first, forcing the owner to sit behind her. Vincent rode with Cloud.

The roar was deafening as the three vehicles took off, each rider echoing Kurry's prayer in their minds.

* * *

Kadaj winced as he was slammed against the bulkhead. 'Dammit, Naraku, we're going to die if you don't stop being a bastard!' he bellowed above the squeal of the rotors and the wind. 

'I have only one regret - that I won't see Strife's face when he realises you're dead!' Naraku replied gloatingly. 'I can die happily with that!' There was a fanatical gleam in his eyes.

Shoving the CEO off, Kadaj bolted for the door again. Before he could reach it, a sharp pain shot through his left wrist. Souba went flying as Naraku pinned Kadaj under him. The copter was beginning to spin; through a haze of throbbing pain Kadaj saw the lake waters sparkling below them, then the sky, the waters… the world was spinning out of control… he had to get out…

_I will come back. I promise._

His own words resounded in his head.

With a mighty shout, Kadaj lifted Naraku's entire form off of him and _threw_ him to the side. _MOVE, _his mind screamed.Muscles straining, he hurled himself at Souba and wrenched it from its lodging in the bulkhead. Electricity crackled behind him as Kadaj stumbled across the copter; daylight was only three strides away… two… one…

* * *

Jerking the bike sideways in a spray of gravel, Yazoo braked and leapt off almost simultaneously. Kurry was a fraction of a second faster, already running toward the lake's edge. The others arrived just in time to see the copter give one last metallic shriek as it hit the water and exploded. A massive fireball shot a hundred feet into the air, followed by a plume of black smoke. They all stopped short in agonised dread as the heat of the blast washed over them. Flaming debris began to fall, littering the water. There was no sign of Kadaj. 

'DAMMIT!' bellowed Cloud, kicking the ground in fury. Yazoo's heart twisted in agony. His little brother was dead. No-one could have survived an explosion like that.

''Daj…'

Loz dashed forward and caught his brother as he collapsed. 'Easy… oh 'Zoo…'

'Loz… Kadaj…' Yazoo's voice was husky with the weight of his anguish.

'I know…'

Silent tears were running down both girls' faces. 'Damn Naraku,' Kitty ground out, trembling in helpless rage. Kurry could only watch the flames in silence.

A siren sounded somewhere in the distance.

'Come on,' Vincent spoke up, his voice heavy. 'We can't stay here.'

Reluctantly they turned away. Yazoo leaned heavily on his bike and shut his eyes against the pain, but it didn't work. _He's never coming home… he's never going to get his break… oh Kadaj, I'm so sorry…_

The edge of the dock was about thirty feet behind them. With his eyes shut, Yazoo's other senses increased and he could hear the water sloshing against the cement. It was odd, how little things like water became so loud when one's mind was totally overwhelmed with anguish. _Kadaj always liked the water… _The sound of it was almost… metallic?

_...what?_

'H-hey! Little help here!?'

The call struck Yazoo with an intensity that staggered him. Every fibre of his common sense told him that voice couldn't be real… and yet…

He turned. The others did as well, slow disbelief spreading across their faces.

Dripping wet but very much alive, Kadaj struggled to climb over the edge of the dock. He scrabbled for a handhold but the cold concrete offered no purchase; at least, not with the added weight of Souba clutched tightly in his fist.

'Hey!'

The second call jolted Yazoo out of his stupor. Suddenly he was running, faster than he ever had before, and then he was grasping his brother's outstretched hand, hauling Kadaj up and clasping him tightly to his chest.

'Oh kami… ototousan…'

'It's okay, 'Zoo,' Kadaj replied, his voice muffled. 'I'm alright.

A second pair of arms enveloped the two of them.

'Loz…'

'Niisan…'

They stood that way for a moment, before someone coughed behind them. Breaking away, Kadaj spotted the other four, their eyes all shining with relief.

Aqua met grey and sapphire.

Kadaj grinned in a reassuring sort of way. 'Hey… I promised, didn't I?'

Fresh tears welled up in their eyes as the girls moved to hug him tightly, but they had changed to tears of happiness.

'Thank the gods…' Cloud muttered, looking incredibly close to collapsing himself.

'Um… we're ecstatic that you're alive and all, 'Daj, but can we continue somewhere else? We really don't want to be found here,' Vincent reminded them, glancing anxiously in the direction of the approaching sirens.

Cloud nodded. 'Let's get out of here.'

By the time the cops showed up, the docks were once again deserted.

* * *

Cops are slow in this fic. XD REVIEW! Please and thanks. 


	15. Exhilaration

Two more chapters, people! Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 15 – Exhilaration 

When they arrived back at Seventh Heaven, Tifa was already waiting for them.

'Where have you been?' she asked worriedly. 'I've been calling and calling… there was an explosion at the docks! Did you know?'

On hearing this, Cloud checked his cell and sheepishly informed her that it had in fact been off the entire time.

'That's probably for the better,' Vincent sighed. Tifa, of course, immediately clamoured to be told what had happened, so they made her sit down first and then related the story.

She had to have a stiff drink afterwards.

When Kadaj came back down from changing she fussed over him a little, making him blush. 'You must have been terrified,' she said.

Cloud clapped his half-brother on the back. 'Are you kidding? He stood up to Sephiroth and disarmed him… yes, I saw that, 'Daj. You did amazingly well against him. Even I've never been able to completely disarm him.' His expression turned sober for a moment. 'However, if you _ever_ pull a crazy stunt like that helicopter thing again Yazoo and I will tan your hide with the flat of Souba's blade.'

Kadaj rubbed the back of his head contritely, though he didn't doubt Cloud's words. 'Eh heh… sorry about that… I wasn't thinking…'

'I'm in total agreement with Cloud on this one,' Kurry piped up. 'My heart was in my throat.'

Kitty glared at him. 'Yeah, so in other words, we love you too much to lose you, don't do that again.'

Kadaj was about to apologise again when he paused, his expression slowly changing to a look of delighted shock. 'Wait, what?'

'I said, 'we love you too much to lose you',' Kitty repeated carefully, walking over to place a gentle kiss on his lips.

Yazoo, Loz and Cloud raised eyebrows at Kadaj. Kurry chuckled and stretched. 'I told you; from both of us,' she said, winking.

A broad smile grew on Kadaj's face. All other eyebrows rose.

'Whoa, bro,' Loz muttered.

Cloud chuckled. 'I guess a lot of things changed this week,' he said, running a hand through his tousled blonde hair.

'So, now that all the craziness is over, maybe we can clear this thing up,' Kurry suggested. 'There are still too many loose ends for my liking.'

'Same here,' Kitty added. 'For example, why the hell would Naraku go to such lengths to bring you down, Cloudo?'

Cloud sighed, though his lips twitched a little at the pet name. 'He and I had a legal battle over ShinRa. You know my uncle left it to me. Naraku had been trying to get Uncle Rufus to sell it to him long before that. But he knew that ShinRa would never do what he wanted it to do under Naraku's control, so he put it in his will for me. Uncle had geostigma, that rare disease, you know? He knew he wasn't going to last long, so he talked to me about his plans for ShinRa, how we could make music and give the proceeds to the rebuilding funds. He wanted the city to grow again, and be like it was before the war.'

Cloud's eyes softened as he reminisced. 'Poor old Uncle Rufus… with a vision for the future like that, how could I refuse? I love music anyway, so I figured, hell, I'll use the company like he wanted and everybody'll be better off.' He shook his head, blonde hair swishing softly this way and that. 'Naraku was livid, though. He took me to court and attempted to gain the company that way, but the will couldn't be broken and the judge eventually told Naraku to bugger off after he'd tried every loophole in the book. It was somewhat amusing at the time. I didn't know he would cause so much trouble for you all. I'm so sorry.' He glanced at Kadaj, his blue eyes full of contrition. 'Gods, Kadaj, if we had lost you because of this, I'd never forgive myself… I honestly didn't think he would go so far.'

Kadaj grinned reassuringly. 'Hey, I'm not that easily destroyed, obviously. Those old training lessons we used to do came in handy.' He winked jauntily, but Cloud still looked troubled.

'...what?'

'Well,' the CEO continued, 'the appearance of Sephiroth nearly undid me. I really should have followed up on that…'

At the others' confused looks, he continued, albeit somewhat reluctantly. 'Sephiroth and I were actually comrades during the war. We were in the same unit, a bunch of elite fighters chosen to go over to Rocket Town and help them. We… failed. That's why Midgar was bombed. We failed in our mission because Sephiroth went insane as a result of all the death.' A haunted look flickered in Cloud's eyes. 'He… he lost it completely one day. Killed our commander and another soldier almost before anyone knew it… and these were our _own_ men. I… the commander was my best friend. I guess I flew into a rage and attacked Sephiroth, because it was enough to bring him down… they dragged me off before I killed him…'

Tifa stood abruptly and slipped her arm around Cloud's shoulders, but the CEO seemed willing to continue. 'After that, they recalled us and sent Sephiroth to the asylum… Kadaj was only young, Yazoo might be able to remember the funerals. Loz had just been born… and then the rebels found out that Midgar had attempted to aid the government against them and decided to bomb us. That's… that's what lost us our mother…'

Kadaj, Yazoo and Loz all lowered their heads instantly, respectfully. Vincent exhaled slowly, looking worn. 'I was there as well. It was not a happy day. Midgar did not blame the elites for the bombing, but we felt it was our fault anyway… we lost Zack and Tidus… and they destroyed the city because of us. There was so much death…'

'We're so sorry…' Kurry murmured, at a loss for words.

Cloud smiled wistfully. 'You're lucky you two hadn't moved here at that time. Naraku was one of the few to blame us for the attacks, but everyone else figured the war would have come soon anyway. The rebels were suppressed soon after and the war ended. Uncle's plans held well. It only took four years to get the company up and running. But that's how Sephiroth and I knew each other. I had heard he escaped from the asylum shortly after the war ended, but I didn't think to follow up on it… I was foolish to think he wouldn't come back…'

Vincent hung his head and sighed. 'I was stupid as well… I recognised Sephiroth in the church that day, but I refused to believe he could have returned. I was afraid to face what had happened and it nearly cost you your lives. I'm sorry.'

Kitty stood and walked over to Cloud. 'This may seem a little odd, but you're not my employer when we're out of the building,' she said simply, and hugged him. Tifa giggled at the look on Cloud's face and hugged him as well.

Kitty then moved toward Vincent, who looked so dejected that her heart went out to him. 'Hey… fear is a powerful emotion. Nobody blames you, Vince.' He just looked at her for a moment before wrapping his arms around her. '… Thank you.'

Kurry and Kadaj exchanged a look, the latter grinning reassuringly to show he bore no ill effects from the recounting. Kurry looked relieved.

Kitty slipped back over to the bar and poured herself a second drink. 'Kami, what a crazy week…'

'I dunno, I've… well, this is going to sound strange, but I'm rather glad we tripped over you, 'Daj,' Kurry said, winking. 'Could have done without the heart attacks, but still…'

Kadaj blushed and grinned apologetically. 'Um… I'm sorry?'

There were a few half-hearted chuckles. Vincent yawned widely. 'Oops, excuse me…'

'I think you should all get some rest or something. You're all free to spend the night,' Tifa offered.

'Thanks… I might need it…'

While they were talking, Kitty caught Kadaj's eye and motioned at Cloud with a slight toss of her head. Kadaj blinked, then a look of recognition passed over his face and he shook his head. While this subtle communication was going on, Cloud said, 'I'm going to take a shower. Be back in fifteen.'

Once he was gone, Kadaj breathed a sigh of relief, but Kitty rolled her eyes at him. 'Why don't you just ask him?'

Kadaj groaned lightly. 'I told you, I _can't._ I'm his half-brother. It'll look like favouritism.'

Kitty opened her mouth to argue, but Kurry held up a hand. 'Wait. I have a plan.'

When Kadaj sent her a dubious look she added, 'I _do._ It'll be okay. Trust me.'

'Okay…'

When Cloud came back down Kadaj had fallen asleep in one of the booths, so he didn't see Kurry pull Cloud aside…

* * *

'Where are you taking me, Kurishi?' Cloud asked, tolerantly amused as Kurry led him down a hall in the ShinRa building the next day. 

'Just trust me, okay?' the blonde producer replied, pushing open the door to the Halfway Point.

Cloud was surprised to see that Vincent, Kitty and Alphonse had already gathered. No announcement had been made as was normal for when they wanted impromptu meetings.

'Did I miss a memo or something?' the CEO joked as he was directed to a seat. He sighed when nobody answered. 'Okay guys, what's this all about?'

Kurry looked oddly apprehensive; Cloud knew the blonde didn't often get too excited about hearings and was instantly intrigued. 'We need you to do us a favour. Listen to this music and then just tell us if you would approve it or not.'

'…Alright.'

Confused by his executives' strange request, Cloud settled back in his chair and listened rather than argue with them. As the first notes of the unknown rhythm began to flow, his cerulean eyes widened and he leaned forward intently. A pleased glance passed between Kitty and Kurry at his reaction.

_The moon is her partner_

_She dances in his light_

_The music weaves into her soul_

_And her sorrow comes at midnight_

_When the darkness leaves her wanting more_

_Her soul cries out for warmth_

_The angel in the cold light wore_

_A rhythm all her own_

_Until then it's her chain_

_Binding her to life_

_She'll search for the beat_

_Until the dawn of the 'morrow_

_The absence of the music_

_Is her midnight sorrow_

When the song had ended, everyone waited with bated breath as Cloud fully considered it.

'...I like it. It's very different, contemporary. Who's the artist?'

'Would you approve it?' Kurry asked breathlessly, ignoring his question.

'Well, can't I know the name first?' Cloud asked laughingly. He noticed a folded piece of paper in Kurry's hand and rose from his seat. 'Is that the submission form? Can I see it?' But Kurry whisked it behind her back.

'Vincent's already approved this one. I just want to know if you would,' she said, a strange note of urgency in her tone.

Cloud tried unsuccessfully to snatch the paper; the two ended up playing a short game of keep-away, much to the amusement of the others. Finally the CEO relented. 'Yes, okay, I'd approve it. Why does this one matter so much?'

In answer, Kurry handed him the sheet, glowing in a very self-satisfied manner. Now curious beyond belief, Cloud swiftly unfolded it and read the name.

He blinked.

It couldn't be.

He read the name again.

It still was.

'What did you think of it, niisan?'

Cloud glanced up at the owner of the voice; the same young man whose name the paper bore. Kadaj stood casually in the doorway, lips twitching as he tried not to laugh at the startled expression on Cloud's face.

'YOU wrote this?'

'Yup.'

Now completely gobsmacked, Cloud ran a hand through his hair and turned to Kurry for explanation.

'Yes, Kadaj wrote it. He didn't want to tell you because he was concerned that it would be construed as favouritism. So I devised this elaborate plan. Since Vincent has already approved this song as acting president, it can still be run through the mill, as it were. You can say you approved Vincent's choice without knowing the name behind the song. Furthermore, since Kadaj was not actually in the room when you gave your approval just now, he can't be said as having swayed your opinion. If there is ever a legal investigation, you're both safe.'

Cloud gaped at her for a moment, then resumed his businesslike manner and grinned. 'That, ladies and gentlemen, is why I hired female assistants. I'd never have thought of something like that.'

Amidst the chuckles, he diverted his attention back to Kadaj. 'Still, I wish you'd have told me. This is a great piece of work. I don't think we have to be too worried about the press, with our main competitor out of the picture.'

Kadaj's smile turned sorrowful. 'Yes, but still… I don't want to get you in any more trouble than I already have. Please, humour me on this one,' he added when Cloud tried to protest. He swiftly changed the subject soon after, but Cloud still regarded him with an air of concern. After a moment or two, however, a mischievous glint came to his eye and he smiled.

* * *

Review? puppy eyes 


	16. Finale

So, here it is. The last chapter. Wholey crap this thing took forever. And it's still not that good. But it's finished, and I'm as happy with it as I'm going to get. It's just another step on the road. I hope you all enjoyed this fic. Adios for now.

* * *

Chapter 16 – Finale

* * *

After the unveiling of _Midnight Sorrow _to Cloud, things went back to normal pretty quickly, leaving them all feeling a little out of breath. The relief and excitement within the group at the end of their ordeal was so powerful that Tifa called a celebration for the next evening and invited all their close friends. Vincent and Marlene were the first to arrive, bringing along some of Marlene's excellent cooking. Kadaj, Yazoo and Loz helped Tifa set up the bar, going through the motions they had performed so often in the past three months. Tifa was impressed with their efficiency and praised them highly for their work. But the boys were slightly downcast, though they tried to hide it, as this was to be their last night in the bar.

Al showed up half an hour into the party with Ed and Winry in tow. Introductions were made to those who were unfamiliar and conversations resumed. Al found Kadaj near the bar and approached him almost shyly.

'Hey.'

Kadaj glanced up from where he had been lost in thought and grinned. 'Hey Al. Some party, huh?'

The bronze-haired publicist smiled and settled himself on the stool next to the songwriter. 'I'm just glad to see you alive, my friend,' he murmured quietly. 'I knew you'd pull through.'

Kadaj flushed lightly and ducked his head to hide it. 'I was afraid. I almost ran,' he confessed, feeling foolish.

'You came back.'

The tone in Al's voice caused Kadaj to look up sharply. Al met his eyes with a significant glance before slipping off to speak with Vincent. Kadaj stared after him for a minute before a little half-smile came to his lips.

A few minutes later the food was passed around and everyone settled to hear Cloud and Tifa tell stories from their world tour. A few of the tales had them all laughing uproariously and the atmosphere was lightened with friendly banter. Afterward they began to clean up a little. No-one wished to leave yet though, so Loz had a fight with the stereo and soon music filled the room.

A few people were dancing. Kitty tugged on Kurry's sleeve and motioned at the bar. Kadaj was sitting backwards on one of the stools, his elbows resting on the mahogany and his head tilted back as he listened to his music over the speakers. With his eyes closed he looked younger, the stress of the past two weeks completely gone from his features. The girls slipped onto stools beside him, silently offering their company if he wanted it. After a moment, the songwriter shifted, and began to speak.

'It does something to a musician, to hear one's own work being played over a radio or on a CD. It's not pride, exactly; one doesn't think 'Oh, I'm pro now, I have a hit single.' It's more as if the sudden realisation strikes you that most of the continent is going to be listening to your inner voice, because that's where the songs come from.' Kadaj opened his eyes and looked at the two women sitting next to him.

'I know this is going to sound odd, but artists and musicians draw their inspiration from the natural world and… well… I drew my inspiration for this song from you two.'

Both of them looked surprised. Kadaj smiled a little as faint blushes formed on their cheeks. Kurry coughed a little and said, 'Well, uh, I'm glad we were able to help.' Kitty nodded her agreement.

Kadaj paused, then leaned forward and took one of their hands in each of his. 'I want to thank you, for everything. I… really care about you both, and I'd like to keep you as friends. Is that… okay?'

The girls shared a look, smiling softly. 'You're sweet, 'Daj,' Kitty replied. 'We could probably find a way to come around for reasons that don't involve your music.' She winked at him as she said this, and he smiled.

'Actually, despite all the death threats, I've quite enjoyed this little adventure,' Kurry added. 'It's been… oddly fun.'

Kadaj slowly let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding. 'Yeah. I thought that too.'

Kitty and Kurry shared another of their sidelong glances before both of them slid out of their seats. Slipping an arm each about his waist, they enveloped Kadaj in an intricate embrace, locking their arms together behind his back and laying their heads on each shoulder. Kadaj was again stunned and also touched by their affection. He'd known them for barely two weeks. Still, having people who weren't his brothers care about him… it felt good.

'We're here for you, okay? Whenever you need us,' Kurry murmured next to his ear.

Kadaj grinned. 'Thanks.'

The two girls pulled away as Yazoo's voice came over the speakers.

'Good evening, ladies and gents. This next song is in honour of my little bro, who is in the process of producing some of his own music and is currently hanging with the ladies over there…'

Kadaj turned a brilliant shade of scarlet at that, barely managing to keep his composure. Kurry bit her lip so hard it hurt and Kitty stuffed her fist in her mouth, in attempts to keep from laughing. Everyone else chuckled.

'Yazoo's doomed,' Cloud murmured to Vincent and both men grinned.

'Anyway…' Yazoo continued, 'Kadaj has been working on his music for quite some time. He has more talent, more devotion and more determination than anyone I've ever met. I can't think of anyone who deserves to have their music out there more than him. Kudos to you, brother… and you were right, by the way.' He winked at the blushing Kadaj while everyone else burst into applause.

Cloud quickly wove his way through the room and borrowed the mike from Yazoo.

'One more thing folks… I know he's my brother, but he's also an excellent songwriter and I know a good prospect when I see one. Therefore, for as long as he wants, I'll sign Kadaj as an officially producing professional songwriter.'

Kadaj's jaw dropped. Their friends burst into cheers as Cloud made his way toward the silver-haired youth.

'Listen,' he said in an undertone, 'I'll understand if you still want to do this yourself. But the offer's there, anyway… we'll talk, okay?' He turned to rejoin the party, but Kadaj gripped his arm.

'Niisan… thank you. And I'm sorry for being obstinate.'

Cloud grinned. 'Nothing to be sorry for. You remind me of someone I know who was the exact same way when he started in this business, with nothing but the will to succeed.'

Kadaj, as usual, got curious. 'Really? Who was that?'

Cloud smiled fondly at his half-brother.

'Me.'

Kadaj grinned. 'Oh good. I _knew_ I wasn't the only stubborn one in the family.'

Over behind the bar, Tifa rinsed a glass and handed it to Yazoo to dry. The eldest brother had an almost wistful look on his face.

'What's the matter, Yazoo?' Loz asked, coming over and plunking his glass down.

Yazoo gently set the clean glass on the rack and sighed. 'I… look, don't get me wrong. I'm happy for Kadaj, I really am. But… what now? He's probably going to end up going on tour. What are we going to do, Loz? What's left for us? He's got the chance he always deserved and I'm grateful… but I'm going to miss him.'

Loz sobered as he looked over at his second niisan. 'Good point. I'm going to miss him too… we don't even know where we're going next…'

'Well, you know Cloud wouldn't let him go too far,' Tifa commented casually, a small smile playing on her lips. 'And what makes you think things will change anyway? Just because he's got an official gig now doesn't mean he'd ditch you guys. I know for a fact Kadaj would rather give up his music than give up either of you.' She shook water off her hands and swiped the towel from Yazoo, nudging him a little. 'If you're set on him having his chance, then stay. You guys have been wandering for too long. Buy the place you're staying in and live here with us. Cloud and I will help you out until you're set. And I could always use some extra help around the bar.' She smiled fondly at Yazoo and Loz. 'What do you say?'

The brothers exchanged surprised glances. Stay? Stay… where their brother could earn his success and their lives could find a bit of peace…

Loz folded his arms and leaned against the counter, smirking. 'I like it here, 'Zoo.'

Yazoo raised an eyebrow, glancing around the bar. 'You know… so do I. I think this could be quite suitable.'

Tifa looked pleased. 'You know you're always welcome here.'

The brothers smiled.

* * *

The party wound down around one o'clock in the morning. Vincent had passed out in one of the booths, snoring lightly with a slumbering Marlene tucked under one arm. Cloud was helping Tifa put away the last of the alcohol while Yazoo went around tucking blankets around the sleepers. Kadaj came up to him and whispered something close to his ear. Yazoo replied quietly and then resumed his task while Kadaj disappeared up the stairs.

Outside the air was balmy, a cool breeze offsetting the heat. The moon was full, bright and right overhead, bathing the city in its silver glow. Kadaj stepped carefully onto the roof, easing the door shut behind him. Standing up straight he inhaled deeply, savouring the fresh air. Then he glanced around for his quarries.

They were sitting on the slanted part of the roof, looking up at the stars. The moonlight glinted silver off of Kurry's hair, giving her an almost palpable aura. Beside her sat Kitty, her eyes practically glowing in the light of the heavens. Kadaj sighed softly. The past two weeks had been crazy for all of them, but now he had the chance to get to know each of them properly and when better to start than now?

Clambering easily onto the slant, he shimmied over to them, keeping low so as not to fall. 'Hey,' Kurry greeted him, making room between them for him.

'Hiya. It's a nice night, isn't it?' Kadaj replied, settling himself comfortably.

'Yup. It's gorgeous out here,' Kitty half-sighed, a dreamy look on her face.

'After all that's happened, we needed the time to think. Sorry, we kinda disappeared…' Kurry started to apologise, but Kadaj waved it off.

'Meh, no worries. I understand totally. I feel like I've done nothing but run for two weeks.' He rubbed his eyes tiredly. 'At least it's over now.'

'Yeah.'

After a bit of silence, Kadaj spoke again. 'It's hard to believe that just a few days ago, an assassin was after my blood. It's kinda surreal,' he reflected.

'Yeah. Thank god he didn't manage it, the bastard,' Kitty growled, still somewhat riled up over the whole affair.

'Hm… well, I admit I was furious that he'd come after you girls to get to me, but now that I think about it, I feel kind of sorry for him,' Kadaj continued. 'I mean… going insane and killing people when your mission is to protect them… that would leave any soul broken. It's tragic… like an angel with one wing or something…'

The girls sighed heavily, sobered by this thought. After another moment of silence, Kitty scooted over and laid her head on Kadaj's shoulder. 'Perhaps you should write a song about it,' she murmured, her eyes already falling shut with exhaustion.

'Maybe I will…'

Kurry shuddered, partly from the memory of the wicked gleam in Sephiroth's eyes and partly from the chill wind that had just sprung up. Noticing this, Kadaj reached out and slipped an arm around her shoulders, drawing her affectionately closer.

'You know,' he started, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, 'besides my brothers, I've never really had a best friend before.'

The platinum blonde smiled fondly at him and teasingly nudged his arm. 'Well, you've got two now, and you're stuck with us… for life.'

Her tone was only half joking and it made Kadaj smile.

* * *

Two days later, Kadaj was summoned to ShinRa. Yazoo and Loz insisted on accompanying him. Their eyes smiled with a hidden secret. They practically forced Kadaj to take the bus and refused to explain why, which instantly got the young man's curiosity aroused. Timing it carefully, the three made the trip in record time and hurried into the building.

Marlene was the one to greet them this time, unable to hide her grin as she took Kadaj's hand. 'Come on, this way!' she cried excitedly, tugging him all the way up to the doors of the Halfway Point.

'Ready?'

'Ready for what?' Kadaj chortled, burning with interest by now.

She didn't answer, merely beamed at him and swung the doors wide.

Kadaj gaped as applause filled the room. Everyone was there, surrounding a small table in the center of the ring. Loz gave him a little nudge forward until he was moving toward the table on his own, still shocked. The small sea of smiling faces parted to let him through.

Alphonse stood behind the table, radiant as the sun. 'Hey,' he said shyly. 'I suppose you're wondering why you're here like this.'

'Yes, you could say that,' Kadaj chuckled. 'What's this all about?'

In answer, Al reached out and lifted a leather folder from the table into his hands. 'Here,' he said simply, holding it out. 'You've earned it.'

Kadaj bit his lip nervously, already suspecting what was in the folder. He took it solemnly from Al's hands and opened it.

It was his contract.

Sinking into the chair that had been placed behind him, Kadaj read it through half in disbelief, half in awe. _Kadaj Shinrova, professional music artist_. The words were there on the paper, written proof that he had achieved what he set out to do. The contract was good for five years and clearly stated that he would have the option to renew, just as Vincent had promised a lifetime ago. All he needed to do was sign.

The Halfway Point was silent, but for four words.

'…anyone have a pen?'

Cloud pulled one from his pocket and handed it over, his eyes smiling as only Cloud's could.

'Congratulations, brother.'

Kadaj grinned and signed his name with a flourish. A rousing cheer went up, Loz and Yazoo the loudest among them. This continued for a moment until Al held up his hands for attention.

'Wait a second before we break out the bubbly, I just have something to say.' Hazel eyes met aqua as Kadaj looked up at Al, his usual curiosity present as always.

'When we met, Kadaj, I knew you were going to be successful. This thing with Sephiroth was difficult, I know, but you stayed determined and in the end you overcame your barriers. Just like Cloud, I can see the potential in you and it makes me want to help you succeed in any way I can. So my question to you is, can I… I mean… will you allow me to be your publicist… my friend?'

Kadaj didn't hesitate for a second; he simply put out his hand and grinned.

'I wouldn't have it any other way. Partners?'

Al beamed and slapped his palm into Kadaj's. 'You bet.'

They spent an hour celebrating. Kadaj popped open the champagne; the cork bounced off the wall and got stuck in Loz's hair, which had them all in hysterics for awhile. Finally those who worked there had to return to their duties, so they presented Kadaj with their second surprise of the day; a limousine parked outside, just for him. 'Go home, relax, get some sleep,' Al told him, grinning knowingly. 'After today you'll be extremely busy, so enjoy the slack while you can.' Kadaj practically glowed at these words. 'I'm ready for it,' he replied with a wink. 'Bring it on.'

Standing with his brothers on the street below, Kadaj paused a moment and looked up at the ShinRa building. He used to view it as an icon of what could be achieved when people came together; now that image had only been intensified in his mind. Kadaj smiled.

_I did it, Mother._

'Dude, there's a _fridge_ in here!'

Even as he turned to enter the limo, lips twitching as Loz's excited cries reached his ears, something deep inside Kadaj stirred and he knew that this was just the beginning.

END!!!!

* * *

End of Fic Omake:

Kadaj: ….crap! I forgot to go pick up my bike again in chapter 14!

Youko-Ai

Police: poking the bike like it might have explosives inside it

Seventh Heaven

Kadaj: X.x

* * *

There. Done. Review, for the love of all that's holy, or I may just shrivel up and die from lack of author-ego-stroking. Or shooting down. Either or. Just review. PLEASE. 


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